


Melody of my Heart

by Gothic_Muse



Category: Attack on Titan, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Band, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, bar setting, some nsfw at some point
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2018-01-26 20:09:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 97,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1700945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothic_Muse/pseuds/Gothic_Muse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren gets away from his daytime troubles by going to a bar a few blocks from his apartment. There, he sees a group of rather odd looking people in a band called 'Chimera' who play at the bar every night. After meeting the Gothic lead singer, Eren falls for him hard and begins to have better days at school and home, staying out of fights and doing his homework. But a sudden horrific event sends Eren's life crashing down around him, jeopardizing everything he's built up. Can he cope with it all?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Troubled Life

Within the usually peaceful halls of Shiganshina High, the sounds of angered shouts and swears rang out.The sudden sharp bang of metal of someone being shoved against a locker and a shriek of “ _Fuck_ you, Jaeger!” was added. Other than that, the halls were empty. The kids were in their classes, doing what they needed to do, all but Eren Jaeger and Jean Kirschtein and those who preferred to skip class. Eren was never one to walk away from a fight, and he sure as Hell wasn’t going to back down from the dish Jean was serving. But he'd been in the principal's office six times within the first three weeks of his Junior year, now going on his seventh as the other teenage boy from his homeroom class pushed him against a locker for the second time. "You call me 'Horse Face' again, and by the time I'm through with you, everyone will be calling you 'Broken Face', you got me?" the taller, hazel-eyed boy threatened.

"Jean, please. You can't let it get to you like that," a gentle voice cooed, a voice whose sweetness could only be from Jean's best friend, Marco. It had been difficult to get a word in between the two of them for the few minutes they’d been bickering and he was thankful to have been able to cut in before things got too ugly between Eren and Jean.The two of them hated each other from the moment they’d met. Or rather, from the moment Jean and Mikasa had met. Jean seemed to radiate the ‘douchebag’ vibe, which Eren didn’t care for, but as soon as it became clear that he had feelings for Eren’s sister, the already hot-headed teen turned venomous toward the other. A freckled hand placed itself gently on Jean's shoulder, pulling him away from Eren as calmly and sweetly as possible. Marco smiled apologetically at the green-eyed boy. "Sorry about him, he'll try to control his temper better."

" _Me_?!" Jean asked incredulously, pointing an accusing finger in Eren's direction. "He's the one who keeps starting shit!"

Eren, his eyes wide with anger and his lips in a grim line, replied with a growl, “At least I’m not a pretentious asshole about every fucking thing! Maybe if you'd stop eye-fucking my sister all the time, I wouldn't have to be such a dick!" He shoved Jean hard, knocking him into Marco. Marco fell flat on his ass and let out a pained yelp, Jean only barely catching himself from falling on top of him. Fuck, Eren hadn’t meant for that to happen. "Oh, _shit_. Marco, I didn't mean-" Jean's fist interrupted him. A sudden flare of pain blossomed in Eren’s cheek as the force of the punch sent him reeling backward.

"How _dare_ you hurt Marco," Jean sneered. Marco's eyes widened a little in surprise at the sudden- yet not unexpected- defense from his friend. Holding his face in one hand, Eren glared back at Jean, eyes burning with rage. He didn't bother explaining that it was an accident, fuck no. Jean had already sealed his fate by giving the first real hit.

******\-------------------  
**

Eren, as predicted, sat in Principal Smith's office for the seventh time. But, unlike all the other times, a scolding didn't await him. There was only silence. The blond man stared at Eren, studying him, trying to figure out what could be troubling him so much. "Do you need a few days to figure things out, Eren?" he asked, his tone gentle instead of reprimanding. Eren looked up at the blue eyed man, confusion written all over his face. It was only Tuesday, how could he possibly..."I'm suspending you," Mr. Smith quickly elaborated.

Oh.

"We've tried many things, Eren. Detention. Writing sentences. Apology letters. I'm sorry, but this is the last resort. If three days isn't enough to help you get your act together, then I can easily expel you instead. I'm sorry, Eren, but you've gotta help me out, here." The green eyed boy listened carefully, shamefully understanding where his principal was coming from. Jean had a broken nose and a black eye because of him, and he'd gotten away with only a sore cheek. Marco was mad at Eren. Hell, _Eren_ was mad at Eren. He'd been getting into fights since he could remember, the violent tendencies of his becoming more and more natural to him over the years. Nowadays, he just couldn't help it. Such short temperament, anger, and self-loathing had become the norm for Eren, mostly because he didn't _want_ to get in trouble all the time. Especially with what the biggest consequence for his misdeeds would be. The look of utter shame and disappointment in his mother’s dim, dying eyes seemed worse than physical torture, sometimes. Though it seemed like such a thing didn't matter, seeing as how Eren's presence in the Principal's office was becoming such a regular thing that the secretary knew him by name. There might as well have been a gold plated label on the back of the chair Eren usually sat in with his name carved in it. Still, despite the fact that Eren slipped up a _lot_ , he still didn't want to let down his mother. She only had months left. A year, if she was really, really lucky. Cancer was a bitch. Even Eren's father, who had been a doctor in the town's little clinic for over thirty years, couldn't do anything but watch his wife rot from the inside out in their home. She'd insisted on going home from the hospital only two weeks before, and no one had the willpower to resist her desire to at least be able to see her children every day before they went to school.

 

Begrudgingly, after he was sent back to class and finished out the rest of the day with the sickening image of his mother being awoken from her much needed rest with a call from Mr. Smith, Eren waited by his locker for his sister and best friend to meet up with him so they could walk home together. "Eren!" Armin called, blond locks bouncing as he ran over to his friend, a small stack of books in his arms in addition to the bookbag full of schoolwork and even _more_ books. It was amazing how selective Armin's strength could be, with his ability to carry stacks of books and papers all at once and yet still get pushed around by asshole jocks without putting up so much as a single fist in defense. "Hey," he greeted, smiling breathlessly as he adjusted his hold on the books.

"Hey," Eren replied, not nearly as enthusiastic. Before Armin could ask what was wrong, Mikasa appeared, making him jump in surprise. Mikasa, even with her striking black hair and bright red scarf around her neck, always seemed to show up out of the blue. Her footsteps were always quiet, almost ghostly, giving the young woman a presence that radiated mystery. Her strength and rather muscular physique only made it more odd that she could so easily sneak up on people without meaning to. She was intimidating, to say the least.

"Eren," The girl said quietly, her dark eyes knowing. "You got in trouble again, didn't you?" Eren only sighed, turning on his heel toward the school's front door. He didn't want to deal with talking to his sister about fucking up for the umpteenth time. Just thinking about it was awful enough.  _That fucking Jean Kirschtein, that horsefaced asshole was the one to blame for all this. If he hadn't been looking at Mikasa like she was a porterhouse steak and he was a starving dog, none of it would've happened._ “Eren, talk to me. You can’t just give us the silent treatment every time you get in trouble. Is this about Jean again?”

Eren didn’t bother to stop or turn around. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration. “You’re my fucking _sister_! What the hell am I supposed to do when scumbags want to get their hands all over you? I can’t just let-”

“I can take care of myself! Christ, what made you officer of who’s allowed to have a crush on me anyways?” Mikasa snapped. Armin bit his lip, growing uncomfortable with the increasing tension between his friends.

The three of them walked down the sidewalk, Eren's frustration revealing itself again as he harshly kicked at a small rock in his path. Mikasa remained silent, unaffected by it, but Armin once again flinched in surprise.

Silence dragged on between the three of them, as it usually did when Eren had to go home and face his mother. Sure, his dad could yell at him and ground him and take away his stuff, but a single look from his mother would always drive Eren to the edge of tears. They all knew that it would be enough of a repercussion for him. Heaving a sigh, Eren looked upward. The sky, sprinkled with clouds, was blue as ever. A breeze blew through his hair, giving the young man a chill. Trees that neatly lined each side of the street rustled with the promise of a gentle autumn. The houses that rested peacefully behind the trees, with lawns neatly trimmed, some with flowerbeds on either side of the walkway leading up to their front door, and others with expensive looking cars in the driveways, were quiet. The trio continued on their walk until the lining of trees thinned out, the houses got smaller and crummier, until they got to the district full of liquor stores, shady drug deals, shitty night clubs, and run down apartments for underprivileged people who couldn't afford nicer things.

 _Home sweet home_ , Eren thought, climbing the stairs of the apartment building they all lived in. That was one thing Eren could be grateful for, despite living in a shitty apartment in a shitty town with a shitty life. At least he got to live a few doors down from his best friend. As the three of them reached the front door of the Jaeger household, Armin- unable to use his arms- gently nudged Eren with his foot. "Hey," he called softly, reassuringly, "It's gonna be alright. I'm sure it was just a big misunderstanding. Just talk to her, and she won't be mad at you." The blond teen smiled encouragingly, murmuring, "See you guys later," before he turned and walked down the hall toward the home he and his grandfather shared.

Eren's lips curled themselves a bit with gratefulness toward his friend, then looked toward his sister, the gratefulness gone and dread piercing his eyes. "You might as well get it over with," Mikasa muttered, her tone somewhat cold. But that was just how Mikasa could be at times, especially when she had to deal with Eren's repetitive trouble making. He knew that she, along with the rest of his family, was getting sick of it. He sighed again, wishing he'd at least have more support from her, and stepped into their home. The living room was dark, all the lights out. That was usual, because his mother's sick bed couldn't fit down the narrow hallway that led to the bedrooms and the guest bathrooms. She had to stay in the living room area, her bed replacing the couch they'd sold to help pay for her medical bills.

There, Carla sat, her back propped up with pillows as she gazed out the far window with the broken blinds. She heard the soft click of the door shutting behind the two teenagers that entered, but didn't turn her head. Mikasa quietly took Eren's bookbag from him and went to their room, knowing better than to sit in the middle of what was to come. "I got a call from Principal Smith today," the woman began, sounding more fragile and drained than usual. "He said you beat up another boy for looking at Mikasa the wrong way." Eren shuffled from foot to foot, unsure of how to respond. But his mother suddenly said something, words he never thought he'd hear come out of her mouth. "This is all my fault. If only I'd done better as a mother...Maybe if I had never gotten sick...I..." He didn't need to look up to know she'd begun crying, but he did anyway. She never looked away from the window. "I'm so sorry, Eren," Carla whispered hopelessly. The boy's big green eyes spilled over with his own tears as he took three long strides over to his mother, leaning over her bedside to embrace her frail form as gently and lovingly as he could.

"I'm so sorry, mom," he whispered in a broken voice. "It's not your fault, it's mine. You're the best mom in the world and I...I just...I don't think about it when I get into fights, and I just get so angry all the time a- and this stupid guy keeps shoving his nose in Mikasa's business and people bully Armin all the time...I know you're disappointed in me, but I'm trying really hard. But it's not your fault, mom. I'm just a shitty kid, that's all. Please forgive me...I'm sorry..." He squeezed her a little tighter, hiding his face in the crook of her neck like he always did when they hugged.

Softly, halfheartedly, Carla laughed. She reached up and stroked her son's hair, a brown shade that matched her own. "Don't say 'shitty', that's bad," she giggled quietly, shakily, pulling her hand back to wipe away her own tears before she put it back again. "I understand, now. You want to protect them. You have no idea how proud that makes me, Eren, but you can't always physically fight for their honor. You need to let things go sometimes and let the two of them handle their own problems, do you understand? You can't play the hero all the time, and that's okay. You're a hero to me, Eren." Carla's words sunk down deep, deep in the pit of Eren's soul. She wasn't mad at him. She understood. Of course she understood, she was Carla fucking Jaeger, the sweetest and most understanding woman there ever was. This made Eren feel extremely better, so much so that he didn't let go of his mother for another two minutes. "I love you, Eren," Carla whispered.

"I love you too, mom," Eren replied. _I can control my temper. I can. I can_ , Eren said to himself, a little more hopeful now. After calming down, exchanging a few more gentle words with his mother, and getting her a glass of water for her afternoon ritual of pill-popping of various pain and "cancer killing" medications, Eren excused himself to his bedroom. He entered quietly, leaning against the door after shutting it behind him. Mikasa was laying on her bed, finishing up some homework. "Well...That went a lot better than I expected," he said, pushing off from his spot and walking over to his sister's bed. He sat down beside her, seeing that she was tapping her pen against a pythagorean theorem worksheet and rubbing the end of her scarf between her left thumb and forefinger, a habit she'd picked up as soon as he gave her the scarf when they were nine. Eren knew she was thinking about something. "Hey," he said, patting the top of Mikasa's head. "What's on your mind?"

She was silent for a moment, as if wondering whether she should talk at all. "Well...I wanted to ask you something. It was supposed to be an invitation to help you feel better after talking to mom, but since talking to her wasn't really an issue..." Mikasa trailed off, waiting for Eren to cue her to continue with an explanation.

"You can still tell me," he assured, curious.

Just then, Mikasa sat up. She put down her pen and reached over to the nightstand that rested against the wall between their beds, opened the bottom drawer, and slapped down two laminated cards over the right triangles that littered her math homework. Picking up a card, examining it, and eyes going a little wide, Eren realized they were fake I.D.s. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to go to a bar with me, tonight," she murmured. The young woman was always more open and acted more like an actual teenager around her brother, including, apparently, the act of getting fake I.D.s in order to get them places. Eren had always felt a little smug in the fact that she was pretty cold to everyone except him, and sometimes Armin.

Eren stared at a current picture of himself, recognizing the grey backdrop from the day everyone had to get their school picture taken. Next to his picture was a neat 'Height: 170 cm, Weight: 165 lbs, Age: 21' list, along with all the other required information a license would have. The driver's license looked real enough, but that didn't change Eren's lack of experience with cars. He couldn't afford to get his temps, although he was already sixteen, and he'd never touched the steering wheel of a vehicle before.

"We don't necessarily have to drive," Mikasa said, guessing Eren's thoughts. "The bar is only half a mile from here, and it's really fun. We can get drunk and forget about shit for a while, if you want." Quietly, pursing his lips, Eren nodded.  It would be fun to just forget about things and have fun for a night. Or two. Or _three_. If he was suspended anyways, he might as well do something with his time, right?

Eren smiled thankfully at Mikasa, slipping the I.D. in his front jeans pocket. "We'll have to wait till dad comes home. Then we can sneak out from the fire escape," he said, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the window on the other side of the room beside their beds. They had snuck out before, like two partners in crime, to go sit on the rooftop of the apartment complex or to go to a twenty four hour convenience store for snacks or to just take a long walk on the good side of town and talk about things. It was nice, just to get away from everything, and to have someone to talk to while he did it. Someone who understood what he was going through, because she was in the exact same situation with him. Of course, Carla wasn't Mikasa's birth mother, but after her mother and father were murdered by thugs in the neighboring town, Carla had immediately treated Mikasa no different than if she were her own daughter. Her cancerous state was just as painful for Mikasa as it was for Eren. Eren's father, although he was the one who took her in, was always a little distant from Eren and Mikasa. The man wasn't to blame, not really, but his job demanded long hours and dedication. On top of that, he had to work overtime to help pay off Carla's medical expenses. It would probably be eleven PM before Eren and Mikasa could get out of the house, but they were willing to wait. **  
  
  
  
  
**


	2. At First Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is when Eren meets Levi for the first time, along with the rest of his band. Eren has a few drinks and with that, gets a little bold.

By eleven fifteen, Grisha was asleep in his bed and Carla had long since been napping, as usual. Mikasa, tugging the side of her scarf over her nose, climbed out the window after Eren. Their shoes clanked conspicuously on the rickety metal, but the sounds were drowned out by police sirens and loud fights in the streets and too-loud music. They clambered downward and kept close to one another as they made their way down the chipped up sidewalk, weary of any strangers that passed them. "The place is called 'Legion'. Just opened up a few months ago. There's a band that plays there, and they're really good. I think it's called 'Chimera' or something like that," Mikasa explained softly.

"What do they play?" Eren asked, not bothering to question how many times Mikasa had been to Legion within those few months.

"Mostly songs by Three Days Grace, Creature Feature, Red. Some Evanescence. Sometimes they play stuff they've written themselves, too. It's interesting. The lead guitarist is the only girl in the band. She wears a lot of pretty dresses and flowers and she's really gorgeous. The drummer seems pretty standard, and the other two guitarists dress like they just got back from crashing a wedding. You'll see what I mean when we get there. The singer is pretty much a standard Goth. They're all pretty unique, like, you wouldn't see them out on the street and expect them to associate with each other, but they're really good at what they do." She said. Eren nodded, excited to be able to drink a little bit and see the band play. Finally, after almost half an hour of walking, Eren and Mikasa stood outside the entrance of a low, wide brick building. The glowing yellow sign atop the roof read ' _Legion_ ' in fancy calligraphy.

A burly man in a tight, black shirt stood just outside the doorway, arms crossed tightly over his wide chest. "I.D.s," he said firmly. Wordlessly, Eren and Mikasa pulled out their cards and showed them to the man, who nodded toward the door after a quick glance at them. Mikasa entered the place first, the sound of guitars and drums suddenly amplified as she pushed the heavy metal door open. Quickly, Eren followed, eyes widening when he saw how everything looked inside.

"Woah," he whispered, looking around. To the immediate left, a bar ran along the side of the wall. Two bartenders, a tall man with brown hair and a bit of a beard, along with a shorter woman with boyishly cut bleach blonde hair, served drinks left and right to the patrons that sat in front of them. Yellow lights shined down upon them and the shelves of alcohol on the wall, the only light available to see in the dark room besides the lights that were focused on the stage at the far right of the large room. So many people were there, sitting in booths along the other walls, dancing to the music on the dance floor in between the bar and the stage, playing pool on the table available near one corner. It was exciting looking, that's for sure. "Let's check out the band!" Eren shouted, his voice nearly drowned out by the raging guitar solo that had begun playing, the song he immediately recognized as Carry On My Wayward Son. She nodded, gently taking Eren's hand and pulling him along through the sea of drunken twenty-somethings. As they neared the stage, Eren saw who was producing such mad, insane, incredibly _amazing_ sounds. A young woman with strawberry blonde hair that came down to her delicate looking shoulders, clad in what Eren could only guess were Italian pumps along with a flowery, yellow sun dress, played her bright orange guitar like a maniac. Her fingers flew across the strings, blonde brows furrowing in her concentration as she finished it off with one long, wailing note. People on the dance floor shouted and screamed in praise at the sound, but Eren was quickly distracted when he heard someone start singing.

_"Once I rose above the noise and confusion,_

_Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion,_

_I was soaring ever higher...But I flew too high."_

Eren gasped softly at the sudden voice, his eyes going a little wide at the sight before him. A man of shorter stature, but with a proportional body that was lean and slim and somewhat muscly beneath all the black clothes he wore, came to the front of the stage after the lead guitarist's moment of spotlight. He wore black boots with heels almost a bit too high for a man to get away with, black jeans that were ripped at both knees, and a tight black T- shirt with the word ' _CHIMERA_ ' scrawled across the front in blood red. Pale fingers gripped the microphone, black nails shining noticeably when the light hit them just right, and a pair of pink, almost delicate looking lips pressed themselves close to the head of the microphone to sing the next lines.

_"Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man,_

_though my mind could think, I still was a mad man,_

_I hear the voices when I'm dreaming...I can hear them saaayyy..._

_CARRY ON, MY WAYWARD SO-O-O-ON!_

_THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DO-ONE!_

_LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD TO RE-E-E-EST!_

_DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE!"_

******  
** ****

The tone was a loud bellow into the microphone, almost screamed, but the voice itself was velvety and smooth. The man moved his head and tapped his foot along with the music as his bandmates continued to play, allowing Eren the pause he needed to focus on his facial features. The man's face was a bit angular, with a sharp nose and piercing grey eyes that made him look like he was ready to kill. Noticing the thin line of black eyeliner, Eren couldn't help but smirk. While this man certainly looked good, makeup was still makeup and it seemed sort of silly for a man to wear any of it in the first place. But Eren didn't dwell on it. Instead, he watched the way the man's thin eyebrow rose as he sang certain lines of the song, the rather attractive arch it made, and how the ends of the man's hair- styled in an undercut and just as black as everything else on him- swayed along with his head as he really got into the beat. He pulled away from the microphone as the girl came forward again, completely ripping apart her next guitar solo like a fucking pro. Eren barely noticed her, still perplexed by the man as he took a few deep breaths in order to prepare himself for the next lines. It was just then that Eren noticed a metal ring in the left corner of the man's lower lip, something that seemed to tie his entire look together. "Woah," Eren breathed again, just staring at this oddly attractive looking Goth with a voice that seemed to rival that of an angel's. At least, that's how Eren thought of it. "I am so fucking gay," he muttered to himself, shaking his head and forcing himself to look at the other band members. The drummer, just as Mikasa had stated, looked like your every day drummer, with brown hair slicked back to a point and only a wife beater for a top. Although Eren couldn't see farther below that, he could guess the guy was wearing jeans. The other two guys, a tall one with a small beard and a shorter one who looked eerily like an old man version of Jean, wore tattered suits. Not in a 'Thriller' sort of way, but like...Like they'd just been out drinking all night after a fancy event. Or like they'd accidentally worn formal attire to a frat party. Also, just as Mikasa had described. "Hey, Mikasa, do you know if we- Mikasa?!" Eren asked, half the question out of his mouth before he even looked in her direction, only to find that she wasn't there anymore. Suddenly alarmed, Eren glanced around him at all the dancers and music listeners, his eyes scanning them worriedly for his sister.

"Hey," she greeted, nudging Eren's back with a beer. He jumped and whirled around, visibly more calm as soon as he saw that it was Mikasa. Gratefully, Eren took the offered beer from her hand and lifted a curious eyebrow at the fruity looking drink in her other hand. "Beer is gross," she explained with a simple shrug, bringing her drink to her lips and taking a small sip. He shrugged back, swigging his beer and turning his attention back to the man as he sang. Eren was absolutely mesmerized.

An hour and four more beers later, already having come up with the perfect plan to ask Hot Singer Guy out on a date, Eren was slurring along with the lines of 'Going Under' by Evanescence while sitting at one of the small tables that rimmed the dance floor. Hot Singer Guy's voice was a perfect male equivalent of Amy Lee's talent, hitting every note with rough, velvety sweet and bell-like tones, much more in tune with the lyrics than Eren himself. Mikasa had only just finished her second drink, watching Eren as he smiled stupidly at the stage. "Hey," she called, setting the glass down beside her first. Eren looked over, muttering an "Eh?" in annoyance at having to take his eyes off Hot Singer Guy's rhythmic, heavenly, pierced, kissable lips for even a moment. "You've barely said a word to me all night," Mikasa pointed out, gesturing over toward the band. "What, do you have a little crush on Chimera's lead singer?"

Eren rolled his eyes, taking a swig of his beer before he set it down on the table. “Maybe I do. And- And _maybe_ , I’m gonna ask him out,” he replied, trying to sound smug. That facade faltered as soon as Eren saw Mikasa crack a smile.

“Oh, really? And how do you plan to do that?” She asked, lips twitching with a desire to laugh.

Eren narrowed his eyes. “I’m gonna ask him to sing- Like, have you _heard_ his voice? Shit, I would, like, fuck his voice. Anyways, I’m gonna ask him to sing for me, then I’m gonna ask him to _scream_ for me~” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Mikasa slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her cackling.

“Eren- OhmyGod- No,” She said, reaching across the small table to rest her hand on Eren’s shoulder. “You’re sixteen. He’s like...Ninety.” Eren snorted, finding it funny somehow, and pushed her hand away.

“I’m the age of consssent, Mikasa,” he slurred back. “ _Duh_.” The girl raised her hands, as if in surrender, and leaned back in her seat.

“Fine,” Mikasa answered. “I won’t say ‘I told you so’ when that geezer smacks you into next week for coming on to him, but you’d better ask him out quick.” Eren raised an eyebrow curiously at her sudden eagerness. “They’re about to go off stage,” she explained, pointing to them.

Shit. He didn’t even notice the song had ended. Frantically, Eren stood, and as the applause died down, he shouted as loud as he could, “SING SOME MORE, GOTH BOY!” Shit. That wasn't what was supposed to come out.

...Nothing. A DJ was beginning to set up his equipment just as Chimera was exiting the stage. Nobody even batted an eye at him. No one seemed to hear Eren, so he urgently sucked in a deep breath to shout once again before it was too late. Almost too suddenly, green eyes met striking grey. Hot Singer Guy had heard him! Eren’s heart leapt as the two of them looked at each other, a wide smile creeping up on his face in anticipation. But Hot Singer Guy just turned away and walked off the stage after his bandmates. Eren took a step forward, in his drunken stupor seriously considering going after him. Beside him, Eren heard Mikasa snorting with laughter. “Oh...My _God_ …You should win a medal for your flirting skills, bro. Heheeh...” Intoxication was likely the cause of Mikasa's teasing and easy laughter, and it was starting to irritate Eren.

“Hey, shut up. No more drinking for you, tonight,” he grumbled, sitting back down in his chair and chugging what was left of his beer. A sudden tap on his shoulder made the boy yelp and jump in his seat, whipping around just to be shocked even more by those piercing eyes again.

“Isn't it past your bedtime, kid?” the man asked, his voice just as velvety and perfect when he was speaking as when he was singing. “You’re too young to be here,” he continued. “No one who’s twenty one or over could have a voice as embarrassingly pubescent as yours. Go home.”

Eren blinked at Hot Singer Guy, appalled that he’d be talking to him so bluntly and knowingly. But, with a mind clouded with beer and cheesy pickup lines to try and use, he couldn't exactly think well enough to be offended by the man’s comment. “Uh...Are you, uh, gonna sing again?” he asked stupidly. It was his nervousness at the man’s closeness more than the beer effecting him, if he were being perfectly honest. It was easy to stare at him from afar, but from where he was sitting, he could _smell_ the man.

Soap. Morning dew. Flowers. Holy shit, this guy actually smelled like _flowers_.

Hot Singer Guy crossed his arms. “What’s it to you?” he asked. Eren raised his eyebrows, unsure of what to say.

“Uh…”  
 ****

Hot Singer Guy rolled his eyes, shifting his weight to one hip. Oh God, that hip looked nice. “Go home, kid,” he repeated, sounding more irritated.

Kid. Eren’s name wasn't ‘Kid’. “My name is Eren Jaeger,”, he quickly answered. “I really want to hear you sing some more...You sound…” Eren, in his brain’s cloudy haze, couldn’t describe it very well, so he trailed off.  He paused, trying to think of what else he could say to contribute to the conversation. But just then, Hot Singer Guy spoke.

“Alright, _Jaegermeister_. If you wanna hear the band again, at the risk of getting your little bratty ass arrested, come back tomorrow. We’re done for the night,” he explained. Grey eyes lazily slid their gaze from Eren’s face over to the table where he sat. Filthy. But Hot Singer Guy didn't dwell on that. “And drink some damn water, for cripe’s sake. You’re a fucking kid, you shouldn't be getting hangovers this early-”

“Levi!” A feminine voice called from across the dance floor. The man turned- So _that’s_ his name!- and found the beautiful girl in the yellow sun dress waving at him. “Come on, quit your flirting and lets get to dinner already!” she said.  
  
 ****

Again, Hot S- er, Levi rolled his eyes. “See you ‘round, kid,” he muttered dismissively, turning toward the girl.

“Wait!” Eren practically shrieked, feeling frantic and anxious. Levi couldn’t just leave. They’d barely met. They knew no more about each other than their names. “C- Can I have your number?” he blurted, wanting something, anything that would ensure that they’d speak to each other again.

Looking back at Eren, Levi smirked a little. His silver lip ring shined as it caught in the light. “Sorry, kid. You’ll have to get to know this,” he gestured to himself. “Before you can get this.” He spoke smoothly, pulling out his phone. Levi winked and turned away, and Eren’s breath caught in his throat. He wasn’t able to speak again until Levi was gone.

“Holy shit,” he breathed. Mikasa _tsk_ ed under her breath and snickered.

“Maaaaan, you’ve got it _bad_ ,” She commented.

“Got what?!” Eren asked, snapping out of his dreamy reverie of the illegally perfect way Levi’s ass moved with every step he took in the opposite direction.

Mikasa shook her head dismissively, getting out of her seat and dropping five bucks on to the table. “Let’s go home before you get too drunk to walk,” She said, coming around to Eren’s side of the table and slinging his arm over her shoulder.

More times than he cared to count, Eren stumbled on the sidewalk and held on to Mikasa for support. He wasn’t one who held his alcohol very well. “Come on, Eren,” she grunted, nearing their apartment. Once they were back in through their window, the adoptive siblings both slumped down on their own respective beds. “G’night,” Mikasa murmured softly, tugging her scarf up over her nose and sniffing it as she closed her eyes.

“G’night,” Eren answered promptly, sighing into his pillow. He was more than happy to fall asleep and let his future self deal with the hangover, but then he remembered what Levi said. Water. Heaving another sigh, the teen pressed his palms to the mattress and pushed himself up into a sitting position, yanking off his shoes before standing on wobbly feet and going to the kitchen to get two glasses of water. Eren stood at the kitchen sink, filling each glass quietly, and thought about Levi. He was such a cool guy. Definitely hot. Eren knew that most of his rather embarrassing night would be forgotten in the morning, so he pictured Levi in his mind, attempting to burn the image into his brain. He wanted to go back to that bar. He wanted to hear Levi sing again. He wanted to have a chance to attempt flirtation _sober_. Upon his return, Eren heard Mikasa snoring softly into her scarf.

With a sleepy grin, he set Mikasa’s cup of water on the nightstand between their beds, knowing she’d thank him in the morning for having it ready for her. He quickly gulped down the tasteless liquid and set his empty cup beside the one meant for his sister, then just looked at the glasses for a moment. He looked at them, and thought again.

_Damn, he was actually rude as hell. And a smartass._

_I have to see him again. I just fucking have to._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo Goth Levi


	3. Mother Dearest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a filler chapter, to be perfectly honest. You get a closer look at what's wrong with Carla and how it effects Eren.

Sunlight streamed in from the window, shining harshly on Eren’s face. He was squinting before he even opened his eyes. “Ah, shit...What time is it…?” Mikasa’s empty bed proved to be evidence that it was at least late enough for school to have started already. With a groan, Eren sat up. He scratched his head, yawned, and looked over at the night stand with a bleary gaze.

Two empty cups, and a note written on a torn piece of Mikasa’s homework that said ‘ _Thanks- M_ ’ in her small-lettered handwriting. Eren smiled, taking up the cups and arching his back in a stretch before padding out into the kitchen. “Good morning, sleepy head,” Carla called, smiling softly at Eren from her bed in the living room. Immediately alert, Eren put the cups in the sink and quickly walked to Carla’s bedside.

“Mom, you should be asleep. You know it’s not good for you to use up your energy,” Eren said, taking a pillow and fluffing it, putting it back, then worriedly adjusting the blankets over Carla’s body. He knew she wasn’t really doing much of anything, but the worry just came naturally when he thought about how weak she’d become.

Carla chuckled softly, reaching out and smoothing down Eren’s bedhead as he worked. “Eren, you worry too much,” she said, her tone kind and easygoing. “I’m not running a marathon, honey. You can relax.” Eren wasn’t listening.

“Do you need something to drink? Have you had breakfast?” He asked, grabbing a spare blanket off the back of the living room's armchair and draping it over her. She was always cold, nowadays.

She sighed. “Sweet heart, listen to me,” Gently, Carla took hold of Eren’s arm. Although the gesture was frail, it had enough power to make him stop trying to make her impossibly more comfortable. He looked at her, green eyes wide and alive with an eagerness to do anything and everything she needed to stay happy. “Eren,” Carla murmured, “You do this all the time. You should stop worrying about me so much. I do just fine by myself while everyone is out of the house all day, so there really isn’t any need for you to dote on me like this. I can tell that it stresses you,” she cooed.

It was about the millionth time she’d said that. But Eren couldn’t just _stop_ trying to take care of her. She was his mother. She was dying. He never understood why she was always so calm and collected about the situation. Why she still insisted on being so independent, despite her inability to walk or stay awake for too long. All she ever really did- as far as exercise- was climb out of bed, walk to the bathroom, maybe to the kitchen, then climb back into bed again. Even then, she’d lay there panting and nursing a cup of ice water, almost as if she _had_ run a marathon. It made Eren worry. A lot. He didn’t know much about medicine or doctors or even cancer, but he saw how bad she had gotten. Carla Jaeger, twenty three years old, perfectly healthy. Pregnant with a baby boy. Twenty eight, baking her five year old’s birthday cake while scrambling to wrap presents and be a good hostess to visiting relatives, simultaneously cleaning up messes made by clumsy cousins all at once. Thirty one, welcoming an adopted sibling into the family, comforting her new daughter who had gone through losing both parents and being sexually assaulted by three thugs. Stronger than ever. No sign of illness at all whatsoever, save for a growing ache in her side.

Thirty seven years old, diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer.

It had all come out of nowhere. One day, Carla was up and cooking breakfast before the birds began to sing, cleaning the house as she danced around to her favorite music on the radio, taking care of her children like any mother would. The next, she was in the hospital, almost comatose from the immense pain in her side, pain which spread to her back and to her other side. A tumor was there, eating her alive from the inside out. From then on, the Jaeger house was quiet. Medical bills piled up, forcing Grisha- Already overworked as it was- to take on extra hours at the clinic. Eren and Mikasa had to look for jobs (though people would usually only hire the raven haired girl). They had to sell most of the things they didn’t absolutely need.

Since then, Eren had always jumped through hoops with Mikasa, the two purposely going out of their way to visit Carla at the hospital, hoping to keep her company and prevent a sense of loneliness. Even when it got late, when dinner was ready and Grisha called to have the kids come home, Mikasa would be the only one who showed up at their front door. Eren was determined to stay by Carla’s side, determined to protect her. Determined to make sure he was there with her, holding her hand and telling her how much he loved her when she had her final moments, because he wasn’t even sure when she was gonna go. Thankfully, when Carla had her hospital bed  moved from the hospital to their home, there was no longer any need to inconvenience themselves. Despite that, Eren still stayed awake, waiting to do his homework until three or four in the morning in the living room so he’d have something to do while he accompanied his sleeping mother. And when she would awaken, he’d be the first one to take care of her, taking out all the pills she needed, getting her food and water when she needed it, even fluffing her pillows and rubbing her feet. But staying up so late every night had taken a toll on Eren. He fell asleep in class almost every day, his grades dropped dramatically- Not that they were wall that good to begin with- and his temper had gotten much shorter from his lack of sleep, making him get into even more fights than usual. When his second semester Freshman report card came in, that was the first time Eren had seen his mother give him the look.

Her eyes, already void of life, sunk into a somber gaze that could shatter hearts. The corners of Carla’s lips turned downward easily, as if she was meant to look that miserable for the rest of her life.  Her eyebrows would knit together, as if she were confused, like a child going to a funeral for the first time. She didn’t understand why Eren, the sweet and rowdy son of hers whom she’d raised as best she could, would do so horribly in school. She was hurt by how violent he’d become, the look on her face as distraught as if she was the one getting beaten up by him. She was disappointed.

That was the look. And Eren, unwilling to ever see her make a face like that again, reluctantly began going to bed at more reasonable hours, only going out late at night to spend time with Mikasa and just forget about it all. Still, although he’d gotten his grades up, even though he came home with bloody knuckles two days a week instead of four, he still couldn’t escape that look sometimes. He messed up a lot, got into trouble, and gained a bad reputation, but at least he could take care of his mother. That’s all Eren cared about. Keeping Carla alive and happy for as long as he could.

He looked at his mother’s pale face, quiet for a brief moment. “...Alright, I understand. Just...Yell for me if you need something, okay?” Eren murmured, feeling defeated but reluctant to go against her wishes. Carla smiled, nodding eagerly.

“Of course, honey. Why don’t you go visit Mikasa at work after she gets out of school?” She asked, hoping to give Eren something to distract him from her illness, at least for a little while. It was he who nodded this time, muttering a confirmation in reply and kissing his mother’s forehead before returning to his bedroom, plopping back down on his bed again. Eren pushed out a deep, labored breath, hopeless. Wishing he could just do  _something_ to help her. Anything. _  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blehh writing is hard


	4. It's a Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren pays a visit to Mikasa at work and ends up getting a date with Levi~

Eventually, three p.m. rolled around. Mikasa always started work at three, and after spending the better half of his day doodling and taking naps, Eren was actually eager to go out and see her. He donned an old, brown leather jacket and tied up his converse, being sure to kiss his sleeping mother before he left the apartment and started walking down the near-empty street toward the movie theater. It rested on the invisible line that divided the poor side of town from the rich side, between the town’s strip mall and an abandoned factory. The cinema didn’t look too packed, judging by the rather small number of cars in the parking lot, so Eren was relieved. Mikasa might have some free time. He jogged through the front doors of the place, entering the red carpeted and yellow lighted lobby, his eyes gliding over the candy and ticket counters in a quick search for any black haired heads and red scarves. “Hello, Eren!” said a cheerful little voice. A cute, blonde haired girl popped up from behind the candy counter, beckoning him closer.

Eren walked over to her and smiled. “Hey, Krista. Slow day?” he asked, leaning over on the counter.

“Yeah, it’s pretty boring. Mikasa’s just finishing up some cleaning in theater four, she’ll be out soon,” Krista assured, smiling softly. “There are only a handful people here today. Everyone wants to see that dumb western, but a few came in to see that one movie about Satan’s baby.”

Eren nodded along, glancing over at the posters of the new movies on the wall. “Is the Satan one any good?”

Krista shrugged, pulling out a pack of SnoCaps from beneath the counter and opening the box. “It’s pretty messed up, but I’ve seen it four times already, so it’s whatever. You should watch it, though. If you want, I’ll let-”

“Eren,” Mikasa called, stepping into the lobby from the entryway to the theater rooms with a broomstick in her hand. “Go to theater six. You should eat a breath mint before you go in there, too.” The girl ran behind the counter, offering Krista a small smile of acknowledgement before tossing the broom into a dark room with a door labeled ‘Employees Only’. Krista chewed on her sweets as she watched Mikasa, curious about what she was talking about.

Eren raised an eyebrow in slight confusion, also a bit curious, but moved on from Mikasa’s odd behavior. “Hey, I came to talk to you,” he said, watching her lean down under the candy counter in a search for some minty treats. Why was she acting so weird? “If you have some free time, we should hang-”

“Here,” she interrupted. Mikasa thrust a tube of Mentos in Eren’s hand and walked out from behind the counter, taking Eren’s shoulders and leading him down the hall to the theater entryway.

“Hey-  _Mikasa_!” Eren snapped, fighting back against her assertiveness. But it was no use, she worked out in the school weight room every week. Mikasa was stronger than almost everyone their age could handle. “Why the Hell are you being so fucking pushy?!”

She rolled her eyes, stopping Eren at the door of the theater and turning him around to run her fingers through his hair, trying to pat down the fluff. He smacked her hand away in annoyance. “Levi’s in there, you dipshit, Don’t you remember? The weirdo singer guy you were ogling last night? I’m trying to help you out,” she whispered, as if she thought the man would hear through the door. And suddenly, the blurred memories of Eren and Mikasa’s night out came flooding back.

Legion. Chimera. Beer. Lip ring. Water. Levi's perfect fucking face.

Eren's heart skipped a beat and he ate seven Mentos before he went in.

 _Oh, God, Levi’s here. He’s fucking here, right now. I can actually see him again. What should I say? Fuck, what was it that I said to him last night? Should I say anything? I think I asked him for his phone number. Should I try it again? Would he even give it to me this time? Oh, God. Oh, God_ , Eren thought, walking down the short, dimly lit hall after Mikasa shut the door behind him. There was no turning back, now. The area where the seats were settled was also dark, but not dark enough to indicate that the movie had begun. Though Eren could’ve figured that out by the humdrum, typical movie theater music playing and images of cartoon characters showing proper theater etiquette plastered the big screen. Eren glanced around, his eyes roving over the few clumps of people scattered in the seats until he caught a glimpse of someone sitting alone in the very back. Although he had been drunk and the lighting hadn’t been the best while Eren was in the bar, he’d know that face anywhere.  Quickly, but attempting not to look frantic or conspicuous, Eren approached the backmost seats, pushing any more nervous thoughts to the side.

Levi sat there without noticing him, looking rather aloof. Again, his eyes were rimmed in black, and his silver lip ring glinted as he sucked at the straw of a cherry coke. Eren glanced around again, wondering where all Levi’s bandmates were. He didn’t come to see a movie by himself, did he? Wasn’t that something only weird people did? Well, Eren realized he didn’t really have much room to talk, considering he’d come alone as well. Rather awkwardly, Eren did an odd sideways walk between the seats in the thin walkspace provided until he made it to the exact center, where Levi was sitting. Still awkward as fuck, Eren sat down beside him. _What should I do? Should I just say ‘hi’ like we’re friends? Should I apologize for last night? Should I ask him why he’s here by himself? Should I try some sort of pickup line? Do you come here often? Uh...I thought hot guys were supposed to be in movies, not watching them in the theater? Ugh. I su-_ “Oi, Brat. What are you doing here?”

Eren froze for a second, then whipped his head around to see two piercing, intense grey eyes staring back at him. “I- I-” He stammered, his mind going completely blank as soon as he was put on the spot. _Shit, shit, shit. Figure out what to say, stupid!_ Nothing. He had nothing. Eren just stared at Levi with an almost terrified look on his face, feeling like he was the most idiotic specimen on planet Earth.

Levi raised an eyebrow, staring at him for a long moment as he waited for an answer, receiving none. That kid was familiar to him; the cute one from the bar the night before. Levi remembered seeing the girl he’d been with behind the ticket counter when he came in the theater. He looked nervous, being so close to Levi. But at the same time, he looked excited. It was sorta flattering, in a way. “Are you going to sit there and stare at me all day, or what?” the man asked, taking another casual sip of his coke without even looking for the straw. His eyes never left Eren’s, which only made Eren more nervous. Yet Levi’s prompting did manage to fill the void in Eren’s brain with words that could form a somewhat adequate response.

“No! I just- Uh- thank you! About the water thing, I mean!” Eren said a little too loudly, earning a small chorus of ‘Shh’s from some of the other patrons. That took his attention from Levi for a moment and thankfully he was able to break eye contact, glancing at the other people before he sunk lower into his seat in shame.

At first, Levi was confused, but then he remembered. _Yeah, that idiot kid had gotten himself drunk the night before_. “Why are you so intent on fucking up your liver?” he asked, lip ring glinting in what little light was in the theater at the moment. Eren found himself distracted by the jewelry, almost too distracted to hear the question. “Hey. Asshole. My eyes are up here.” Levi sounded annoyed, which made Eren look up at his eyes again.

 “Sorry,” Eren murmured, much more quiet now. “My sister said you were in here. And I, uh...Yeah…” He lost his words again, and it was actually starting to piss him off. Eren groaned at his own idiocy and took a deep breath. Yes, being calm and ridding himself of his nervousness would help him speak. But what could he say? _Shit. Damn it. Piss. Think!_ He took another deep breath, becoming even more distressed, and even a little bit frantic. Levi was waiting for him to continue. What do people do when they like someone they just met? What were the mystical secrets behind communicating with a hot stranger? _Levi is_ waiting _, you stupid fuck_! “Can I _please_  have your phone number?!” Eren blurted, earning yet another hiss of ‘Shhh’s from everyone else. He clamped his lips shut.

Now Levi’s brows furrowed, making him look even more irritated. “What the fuck did I tell you last night, dumbass?” he asked, almost as loud as Eren had been. People ‘Shh’ed again and the Goth retorted with a pale middle finger in their direction.

Eren’s eyes widened. What _did_ Levi say to him last night? “I- I don’t remember, I was drunk!” He shouted again, practically freaking out and forgetting everyone else for the moment.

At that, Levi rolled his eyes. “You shouldn’t have been drinking in the first place, Brat,” he scolded.

“Well...Well...I bet _you_ drink!” he retorted, crossing his arms like a child throwing a fit. That made Levi narrow his eyes.

“I’m actually _old enough_ to drink, you little shit. What are you, ten?” **  
**

“Is there a problem, gentlemen?” an adult voice asked. Suddenly, there was the bright gleam of a flashlight in their faces, making Levi squint and Eren lift a hand to shield his eyes. “We’ve received some complaints about a disturbance in here,” the man continued. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

Levi scoffed. “After paying ten bucks for a movie ticket? Go fuck yourself. And turn off that goddamned light.”

“We’ll refund your purchase, sir.” The man replied.

Levi stood and thrust his hands into his pockets. “Tch. Whatever, don’t even bother. I’ve already wasted enough energy even giving a shit about it,” he said, sidestepping past the man with movements so smooth Eren would’ve guessed he’d floated past if he didn’t know any better. Quickly, Eren stood up and followed after Levi, but nearly tripped on the Cinema employee's feet when he tried to get around him. How the fuck had Levi been so graceful? The man ushered the two of them out of the theater room, ignoring Eren’s attempts at negotiation and his repeated ‘My sister works here’ excuse as they walked the empty hall toward the back exit.

Before Eren knew it, he and Levi were outside, the metal door shutting heavily behind them. Levi crossed his arms and looked at Eren. Glared at him. “This is your fault,” he growled, his tone making Eren square his shoulders.

“ _My_ fault?!” Eren asked dumbfoundedly.

“Yeah,” Levi replied easily. “I lost ten bucks because of you, so now you owe me.”

Eren blinked. “I thought you said it was a waste of energy to care about that!”

The man cocked his hip. “I don’t care about the money, dipshit. I paid to spend an hour and a half watching demons rip people apart and make a baby, and now that I’ve been deprived of that, it’s your job to entertain me for that amount of time.”

Eren blinked again, then shifted from foot to foot. Levi did seem to have a point, considering that it was Eren who had been loud in the first place. He sighed softly, then looked off to the side. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, hesitant and unsure of what exactly it was that Levi wanted.

Levi was quiet. _Jesus fuck, has this guy never gone out and done anything before? He’s obviously a virgin, but I didn’t expect him to be a shut-in, too. Still, he’s pretty damn cute,  and he obviously likes me, and he’s not a_ complete _idiot_ , he thought. It was then that Levi decided what he would do. “Take me out for coffee.” Oh, damn, that came out more demanding than he’d meant. Then again, a lot of things did. Whatever. “Take me out for coffee, and talk to me without sounding like you’re going to shit yourself.” Yes, that was much more elegant.

Eren listened as Levi made his rather insistent request, his eyebrows shooting upward at the mention of coffee. Eren himself didn’t care much for coffee, but when people used terms like ‘Going out for coffee’ and ‘take me out for coffee’, didn’t that usually imply that it was a date-like setting? Was Levi asking him out on a date? Was Eren reading too much into it? No, he couldn’t be. Levi was asking him out on a date. Right? Was it a date? It was coffee. It was totally a date. It had to be. The wide eyed teenager perked up the more he thought about it, his hands balling into fists as he bounced a little on his heels. “Yeah,  I can do that! It'll be fun, right?"

But Levi had already turned away from Eren, walking along the side of the building to make it toward the front and, presumably, to his car. Eren immediately followed like a loyal puppy, excited and wishing he could run back inside and high five Mikasa. Eren would have to remember to personally thank her later. This was so perfect. Everything was falling into place in one way or another, which only made Eren happier. Oh, right, he’d have to tell Armin about this, too. After going out on a date with Levi, he’d be the only one of the three of them to have gone out with someone older. Like, _adult_ older. It was so fucking awesome.

“Oh, uh, this _is_ a date, right?” He found himself asking, not even thinking about it until the question was already out. They were in the parking lot now, and Levi had fished some keys out of his pocket.

Levi stopped in front of a black Mercedes, the lights blinking as he clicked a button on a little black device in his hand that was linked to the car key and all the other keys on the small chain. Looking back at Eren, he smirked. “Yeah. It’s a date.”

 

 


	5. Dumb Virgin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi are out on their date, and Eren's virginity shines through.

The ride to the coffee shop could’ve been better. Other than the generally awkward atmosphere created by Eren and Levi’s silence, their own thoughts of _What the hell do I say to him?_  clouding their minds, a rapid downpour of rain blurred the world outside. Levi turned on his windshield wipers and sighed heavily. He hated it when it rained like this. A drizzle was okay, a light shower was fine, but when puddles gathered on the road and splashed his car in mud and other filth as he drove through them, it was complete and utter bullshit. They were getting close to Starbucks, Eren could see. He had to say something. If he didn’t say something, things would probably get even more awkward. “I really like your music, Levi,” Eren began steadily. _Yes. Good. Be smooth, Eren. Don’t be afraid to talk to him. He’s just a guy, after all. A hot, goth, lead singer of a band guy_ , he thought to himself.

“It’s not _my_ music. I just sing whatever songs the band likes,” Levi corrected. “We rarely play our own material on stage. But thanks anyways, I guess.”

“I just meant that I like your voice, that’s all. You sound incredible,” he continued, latching on to that topic. “It’s like, rough, but also smooth, at the same time. And especially when you sing stuff from Evanescence and Halestorm, it’s like...Wow. Just, the way you sing it makes the songs sound even more amazing than the originals!” he gushed.

Glancing over at him, Levi was tempted to make a snide comment on how prissy Eren was being, but seeing that look on his face - the little blush that grew darker by the minute against Eren’s tan skin, mostly - rendered Levi silent for a moment. _Damn, that kid is cute,_ he thought. Then, waiting for a response, Eren smiled at him. _Double damn_. “Thanks,” he repeated, “But I’m not something to get constipated about. Calm down,” he ordered, the corners of his mouth twitching upward in a crooked little smile.

Eren grinned back, wider. “Sorry, I guess I’m just excited. What sort of music do you like?” he asked.

 _So. Fucking. Cute_. Levi turned into the parking lot of the coffee shop as he took a moment to ponder the question **.** The rain was letting up a little, now. “Classic Rock, Techno, Alternative, Metal. But not country. Never country. If you play country music around me, I will not hesitate to shove my boot up your ass,” he finally replied, just as he slid into a parking spot right in front of the shop. He turned off the ignition and wordlessly stepped out, and Eren followed, neither of them caring to cover their heads from the precipitation. Levi clicked the button on the little remote and the car beeped, and while he took the time to do so, Eren ran ahead and opened the door for him. Levi gave him a funny look.

“What do you dislike about country?” he asked curiously, smiling at the little look Levi gave him. The man gave a tiny shake of his head and walked in, welcoming the gentle breeze of the AC with a contented sigh.

“I don’t like the twang in the singers’ voices. And I hate that the only things they sing about are tractors and beer and women,” Levi said, not bothering to look back to make sure Eren was listening. “I also hate their hats. Every single country singer I’ve ever seen wears one of those dumbass cowboy hats,” he added.

Eren smiled again as he stepped closer to Levi, chuckling softly at the man’s reasoning. “Not into beer and tractors and women?” he joked.

Gazing up at the menu of drinks above the service counter, Levi snorted. “No, I much prefer wine and Impalas and men,” he replied, sounding rather playful.

“Men?” Eren asked. If he had a tail, it’d be wagging.

“I’ll take a green tea latte,” Levi ordered, paying no mind to what Eren had said. The barista nodded and looked to Eren for his order.

“Oh, uh, a chocolate chai tea latte, please,” Eren said, digging around in his pocket for some change.

Levi gave him another funny look. “The fuck are you doing, Jaeger?” He took out his wallet, and soon, a credit card was poised in his hand. Holy fucking shit. Credit cards were like unicorns on flying carpets to people like Eren. Or, more simply, to people who were poor as fuck.

“You have a credit card?” Eren asked, sounding just as amazed as he felt.

The look on Levi’s face turned from funny to ‘Are you a fucking moron?’ “Of course I have a credit card, dipshit. It’s not the fucking stone age,” he snapped, handing the card over to the barista. Eren bit his lip, looking a little sad behind the eyes, now. Looking at him, Levi’s eye twitched. Damn it, he didn’t mean to sound so shitty. Why did this kid take everything to heart? “I mean… It’s just better than cash. If I get mugged, a thug would rather go for bills than plastic,” he explained, his voice less sharp now. The barista handed the card back and Levi put it back in his wallet, then cocked his hip again after tucking it away in his pocket. Wow. He looked incredible when he did that.

Eren nodded hastily and grabbed a crumpled up five dollar bill from his own jeans pocket. “Here, take this,” He offered. Eren held out the money for Levi to take, but the man wrinkled his nose at the sight of the money and took their drinks.

“I don’t want your lunch money, kid,” he snickered. “C’mon, let’s find a table.”

Levi walked over to where the tables were situated, scanning each smooth surface carefully before moving on to the next. _Filthy, filthy, filthy..._ Finally, he found a smaller table toward the back and set the drinks down, then took out his wallet again to retrieve some alcohol wipes. “It’s not my lunch money!” Eren griped, following close behind, “I can’t just let you pay for every - Huh?” A little white packet was shoved in his face, and he immediately grabbed it. An alcohol wipe. Eren was quiet, and a little bit confused, as he watched Levi and copied his actions. He wiped down the seat, its back, then his side of the table. When Levi balled up the wipe and wrapper and tossed it in a trash can near by, so did Eren. The two of them sat at the table, and Levi took a sip of his drink. Eren grabbed his latte. “... Why did you wipe everything down?” The teen asked tentatively, hoping that the question wasn’t too intrusive.

The man eyed Eren closely over the rim of his cup, noticing the caution Eren was taking without missing a beat. He swallowed down the tea and set the cup on the table. “I’m Mysophobic. Germs are everywhere, and it’s disgusting. I can’t stand it,” Levi explained, taking care to make sure the tone of his voice was as non-threatening as he could make it despite wrinkling his nose at the thought of all the nasty things that could be lurking in this innocent looking coffee shop. Trillions of microbacterial organisms, just on a single tile of the floor below.

“You’re, uh... Pretty anal, huh?” Eren asked, chuckling softly, effectively bringing Levi out of his haze of thought. Eren took up his drink and sipped it carefully, aware of the steam rising from it.

He raised an eyebrow, cracking a smile for a brief moment. “Believe me, buddy. Anal’s anything but pretty.” he replied, deadpan.

Eren’s eyebrows shot up and he just about choked on his drink. Slamming it down on the table, he hit his chest with a clenched fist and burst out laughing. The sound was large and warm and hearty between coughs, and Levi was startled by the suddenness of it. The man squared his shoulders as he stared at Eren. _The hell? How could any laugh be that attractive? Is it even possible to be attracted to a laugh?_ Well, whether it was possible or not, Levi liked it. He wanted to make the brat laugh more often. “You like ass jokes, I see,” he commented lightly.

The green eyed boy was taking deep breaths, now. He looked back up at Levi again and smiled wide. “Fuck yeah, I do. Oh, my God, that was _hilarious_ ,” he beamed.

“But oh, so true,” Levi added, a soft smile curling his lips. He casually sipped on more of his drink, and Eren repeated the action. Ah, yes. After coughing so much, the latte did just the trick to soothe Eren’s throat again. “What brought you to the bar last night?” Levi asked rather suddenly, catching Eren off guard yet again.

“Oh, well...My sister and I just wanted to get out of the house, that’s all,” the boy replied, chuckling a little.

Levi rose a questioning eyebrow, glancing at the tips of Eren's reddening ears. “I call bullshit,” he declared, “I don’t think you’d go through the trouble of making fake I.D.s  if you were just looking for some fresh air.”

“How do you know we made fake I.D.s? And how do you know if they’re fake or real, anyways?” Eren snapped, furrowing his eyebrows.

“One, they I.D. people at the door so little kids like you _can’t_ get in. Two, you’ve gotta be twenty one to get in, and you’re obviously not twenty one.”

“Well...Well…” Shit. Eren didn’t know how to defend himself. “Well, how old are _you_ , then?”

“Twenty _fucking_ one!” Levi said, laughter laced in his voice. “What about you, kid?”

Eren couldn’t help but break into a smile at the sound of Levi’s voice. “Okay, okay. I’m not twenty one, but I’m getting really close to seventeen. I’m mature as fuck, too.”

“Obviously,” the man replied, smirking.  “So, tell me. You a virgin?”

Everything came to a screeching halt in Eren’s head. _Fuck._ Forget losing his virginity, Eren practically gained it every now and then. Yeah, like he’d admit that to Levi. “Heh, ‘Course not. I lost my virginity at...uh...Thirteen.” If anyone knew a lie, it was Levi. He could hear the uncertainty in Eren’s voice and realized that the redness in the tips of his ears was a tell. Nonetheless, he let Eren continue. “I mean, I was pretty much a player in middle school anyways, so other kids sorta just flocked to me,” Eren shrugged nonchalantly, but avoided Levi’s eyes as he picked up his cup and drank some more. “It was mostly girls, though. Kinda sucks to be a gay kid in a hetero-dominant society, but I worked with what I had.”

Levi nodded, seemingly interested in Eren’s words. “Mm, and how many times have you had sex?” he asked.

“Pft. Like, nine times.” Eren gave an unconvincing half smile and Levi nodded again.

“Wow, that is really impressive. Why don’t you tell me how your first time felt?” Levi casually asked. 

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_. “Uh... _Awesome_?”

Yup. Complete bullshit. “Oh. I suppose you must be pretty amazing, considering no one’s first time is ever really _good_ , let alone awesome. Please, o young sex God, share with me your deep, intimate secrets of the bedroom,” he ordered, eyebrows raised and black nailed fingers laced together, prepared to listen. ** ******

Levi sounded sarcastic as fuck. _Did he figure it out? Oh, shit, am I caught? No way. There's no way he can tell_. He took a deep breath. “Well, you see, uh…” Eren was stuck. He knew nothing about sex besides the boring biology he was taught. Egg, sperm, nothing like that could be talked about in a real discussion about sex. “Girls love it when you move your hips around, like, a lot. You can’t just keep moving one way or else she’ll get bored, you know? You gotta mix it up to keep things lively.” Oh, Eren hoped to God that was how it worked.

At that, Levi smirked. “Oh, really? That’s funny,” he chuckled, resting his elbows on the table. Levi’s eyes went half lidded and his voice went low. “Because when I get fucked, I like it to be slow, hard, and _rough_. Pounding against my sweet spot over and over until I scream their name as I cum,” Levi purred. He smiled a little, and Eren’s heart stopped. ****

He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Then opened it. Then closed it. Levi felt an all out grin coming on at this point, lifting his drink to drain the remainder of its contents and to keep from actually smiling wide. He set the empty cup down again and looked at Eren, who was red-faced and practically dumbstruck. “What?” Levi asked, his voice switching from the sexy husk it was before to his usual monotonous tone.

“Oh God,” he breathed, not really meaning to. He was quiet for a moment longer, not even knowing how to respond to something like that, like the virgin he is. Levi knew. He fucking knew. “You...Knew I was lying, didn’t you?” Eren asked.

“Yup,” he replied, keeping with that monotonous tone of his.

“Then why did you ask me all that stuff?!” Eren yelped, furrowing his eyebrows again and pursing his lips in one of the cutest little pouts Levi had ever seen.

Levi snorted at him, keeping his cool despite that disgustingly adorable expression. “I knew you were a virgin since the moment you first yelled at me. It’s not hard to guess, I just wanted to see what you would say. Either the sex education in America is lacking even more so than usual, or you’re just a shitty student,” he mused.

“Hey, I get good grades! Get off my back, _Mom_.”

The man shrugged and the corners of his mouth twitched upward. “Whatever, kid. Just don’t lie to me again, or else I’ll kick your ass,” he warned, cracking a crooked smile.

Eren smiled widely at him when he saw that look on Levi’s face, but something about it made Eren definitely take his threat seriously. “Alright, yeah, I got it.” Eren waved his hand in dismissal. “I just didn’t want you to think I was just a dumb virgin. So maybe we should just stay away from sex related topics?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t want to embarrass you,” Levi teased. Eren stuck his tongue out at him.

They sat there, Eren smiling wide and Levi offering his crooked little smirk, until the teen spoke up again. “So, since _you’re_ not a virgin...Would it be too weird to ask how many people you’ve been with? You know...Like, people you’ve slept with?”

“I gotta say, you’re doing a great job of staying off of sex related topics,” Levi commented, rolling his eyes. “Let’s see...Mike, Petra, Hanji…I’ve fucked everyone in my band and my manager, and also the bartender at Legion. That doesn’t even include the rest of shit I did in high school. Fuck, I didn’t realize I was such a slut,” he chuckled.

Eren blinked in surprise. _Damn, that’s one, two, three..._ Five _people he’s screwed around with...Not including high school. Shit. The most I’ve ever done is kiss Reiner on a dare,_ Eren thought hopelessly. “Y- You’re not a slut!” He paused again, thinking of how to elaborate. “I mean, what you do with your body is your business, so, like, the term ‘slut’ isn’t...Well, it’s just bad, you shouldn’t be called that-”

“Calm down, Nancy. It’s just a word, no big deal. What’s your beef with it? I doubt anyone ever called _you_ that,” Levi interrupted.

Eren cast his eyes downward to the table and sighed. “It’s nothing.”

“No, tell me.”

He kept his eyes down and chewed on his lip for a second, unsure. “Well...It’s just, when my sister was younger, her parents got killed and these guys took her to a warehouse and...Did things. Anyways, if I hadn’t been there to save her, I don’t know what would’ve happened. Somehow, people at school found out, and people started calling her a slut and a whore and other shitty things. Then _I_ got in trouble for kicking their asses.” Eren shook his head and laughed softly. Bitterly. “Once we got into high school, things calmed down a little. But then this fucking horse faced asshole decides he wants to fuck my sister. Ridiculous, right?” Eren was looking up at Levi again, brows furrowed, green eyes glimmering with irritation. “The first thing he says to her is ‘You have pretty black hair’. Like, as if having the nerve to make a move on my sister wasn’t enough, he has to say something as stupid as that? Like, how dumb could he be?”

Resting his chin in an upraised hand, Levi shrugged. “Well, your first words to me were ‘Sing some more, Goth boy’,” he pointed out. “That wasn’t exactly the most charming pickup line.”

Eren scoffed. “Pft. Okay, first of all, I was drunk. Secondly, you’re here. I think we both know who the winner is,” he countered, giving Levi a cocky grin.

“Shut up, virgin,” Levi retorted playfully. He jumped all of a sudden as his phone vibrated in his pocket.  “Damn it,” he muttered. Levi pulled out his phone and swiped his thumb across the screen to unlock it, then tapped his inbox to see the new message he got. It was from Petra.

 _“Hey, where are you? Practice starts in half an hour. Don’t be late! xoxo”_ , he read silently to himself.

Levi let out an audible groan, and Eren fidgeted in his seat. “What’s wrong?” The teen asked tentatively.

“I’ve gotta meet the band in thirty minutes to practice for tonight’s show. If I wanna make it, I’ll have to leave now. Shit,” Levi grumbled, getting out of his chair. He tucked his phone in his back pocket and tossed his empty cup in the trash can, then checked his watch before he looked up at Eren again. “You want a ride home?”

“Oh, that’d be great, actually,” Eren replied. After throwing his own cup away, he smiled at Levi and nodded toward the front door of the place. “Let’s go, shall we?”

 

Again, they were silent in the car. The rain had stopped, which made Levi thankful. But there were still the goddamned puddles. He didn’t have time to worry about that, though. Eren wasn’t too worried, either. The silence was nice this time around. Comfortable, with the only interruptions being the directions Eren gave every once in a while. Once they were parked outside the dilapidated building, Levi leaned forward in his seat and just gazed up at the place. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. You don’t live here,” he said, bewildered.

Eren chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh, I do, actually.” He gazed over at Levi and smiled again. A wide, genuine smile. _All right. This is the end of the date. What should I do? Hell, what do they do in the movies? Should I kiss him? I’m gonna kiss him. Wait, no, baby steps, baby steps_ -

“So, I had a nice time,” Levi started, breaking Eren out of his small world of thought.

“Oh, right! I had a really great time, too. You’re...Really fun, actually, more fun than I even expected you to be,” he said, smiling a little more shyly now. They were quiet for another second, neither of them making a move. _Is he waiting for me to do it? Oh, God, he wants me to kiss him. I want to kiss him. I just have to lean in, I’ll be fine_ , Eren reasoned. So, as casually as he could, Eren rested his elbow on the center console of the car and leaned over toward Levi. The man responded by holding his hand up in front of Eren’s face to stop him.

“I don’t kiss on the first date,” he said flatly, lowering his hand.

Eren’s heart stopped. Oh, no. Oh, God, no. He fucked up. “...Oh,” the teen muttered, leaning back in his seat.

“Which means,” Levi continued, keeping his eyes on Eren, “That you’ll have to take me on another date.”

Hearing that, Eren blinked. Holy shit, he _didn’t_ fuck up! He looked back at Levi and grinned widely again. “Hell yeah, of course!” Eren beamed, “I’d love to!”

Levi offered a small, crooked smile and his lip ring gleamed. “Cool. Now, get out of my car. If I’m late to practice because of you, I’ll shove a microphone down your throat,” he said, sounding oddly affectionate when he said that. Eren even laughed.

“Okay, okay. I’ll see you tonight at the bar,” Eren said, speaking as he got out of the car.

“Alright, I’ll see you there,” Levi agreed. Eren shut the car door and smiled through the window at Levi.

“See ya, Levi.” And without another word, he drove off.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The line Levi used, "I don't kiss on the first date, which means you'll have to take me on a second date", is from a wonderful comic made by the lovely tumblr user hudgens77! 
> 
> Here's the comic: http://hudgens77.tumblr.com/post/91283940155/2nd-part-to-this-gosh-im-so-sappy


	6. Sweet Lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren gets some practice with his kissing skills.

Armin sat in his room, skimming through articles of sailing and general ocean travel in the books he’d brought home from school. A sudden gentle knock on his door made him look up. “Yes?”

“Eren is here, would you like to see him?” a gruff voice announced, muffled behind the door. Armin didn’t hesitate to jump up and throw the door open, smiling up at his grandfather, then at Eren beside him. He couldn’t help but notice how Eren was visibly bouncing on his heels.

“Hey, Eren! Thanks, Grandpa,” Armin said, taking Eren’s hand and gently pulling him inside.

The old man grinned, his mustache curving with his lips as the wrinkles around his eyes deepened with happiness. “I’ll go make you boys some snacks, Okay? How do grilled cheese sandwiches sound?”

Armin nodded. “That’d be great, Grandpa. Thanks so much.”

“Yeah, thanks, Mr. Arlert. No one makes grilled cheese like you do,” Eren added, giving a grin and a thumbs up.

He smiled again. “Of course. After making grilled cheese sandwiches every day for fifteen years in the navy, I’ve learned a few tricks to add some flavor to it,” the old man beamed, winking at the boys. Then, lowering his voice, he leaned in a bit. “If you can keep a secret...It’s the same secret ingredient in Mr. Krab’s Krabby Patty formula. _Plankton_.”

The three of them laughed lightheartedly at the man’s joke, but as soon as he left to go make the food, Eren shut the door. He  whipped around and grabbed Armin’s shoulders urgently. “I just went on a date with a guy I met last night at a bar and I really want to kiss him but you know the only person I’ve ever kissed was Reiner and it was a shitty little peck so I really need your help,” Eren blurted, speaking a little too fast for Armin to understand.

Armin squeaked in surprise. “Woah, woah, woah, Eren. Slow down,” he said, taking Eren’s hands off of him so he could hold one comfortingly. Armin led Eren over to his bed and moved all the books aside so they could sit down, and once the two of them were settled, Armin squeezed Eren’s fingers and smiled gently. “What’s going on? Explain everything from the beginning.”

Eren took a deep breath and squeezed Armin’s hand back, feeling giddy and worried and excited all at the same time.  He took another deep breath. “Last night, me and Mikasa went to a bar. There was a band playing and this guy- He was just- Holy shit. He’s decked in black from head to toe, he has his nails painted, he has a _lip ring_ , and ohmyGod he wears _eyeliner_ and he looks _incredible_ -”

“Wait, how did you get into a bar?”

“Fake I.D.s. Anyways, he’s the lead singer of the band and he’s so fucking hot, it’s unbelievable.”

“Eren…”

He rolled his eyes. “Scold me about going to bars _later_ , dude. I’m talking about love at first sight, here! So he and I ended up talking- His name is Levi- and then today we went to Starbucks and we both agreed that it was a date, so I was sorta scared at first, but only because I was nervous about going out with him. But I ended up getting really comfortable around him, and it was actually fun just talking to him. I really like him a lot,” Eren gushed, smiling big.

Although Armin greatly disapproved of Eren doing anything illegal, he had to put that aside for the moment. Eren was happy. He was actually _happy_. “So what ended up happening between you and Levi?” he asked inquisitively, grinning back at Eren. **  
  
** ****

“Oh, well...Nothing, really. That’s why I’m here,” Eren explained. He took a deep breath, then his voice got low and serious. “I need your help, man to man, okay? You’re my best friend, and I tell you everything, and I would do anything for you. And right now, I need you to do something for me.”

The blond boy stiffened. “You mentioned something about how you were dared to kiss Reiner once,” he murmured, slowly putting the pieces together. After a moment of silence, it clicked.

The two boys looked at each other, and Eren slowly nodded. Armin sighed heavily.

“Fine, fine, _fine_. I’ll do this for you, but this has to stay between you and me.”

“Of course! God, you’re the best, thank you so much, seriously-”

“Hey, don’t act like I’m some Kissing Professional or something, I’m just as new at this as you are.”

Eren nodded again, looking determined and completely resolute. The blond took a deep breath and tried his best to look serious, too. This was all business. Serious business. The two of them sat there for a quiet moment, staring at each other. Their faces were deadpan, but their eyes reflected uncertainty and cluelessness off one another. “...So...How do we start?” Eren inquired, hesitant.

“I...Crap. I don’t know. God, I think we need to google this,” Armin replied, sounding even more tentative. The boy sighed again and got off his bed, padding over to the small desk in his room where his laptop sat. Eren had always been a little jealous that Armin had such a nice computer. Especially since all he ever really used it for was research and homework, and that Eren was only permitted to use it for the same purpose. But that didn’t concern him now. They were on a mission. There was nothing Eren could do about being a virgin, but if he could blow Levi away by being a good kisser, the man surely wouldn’t think of him as an inexperienced kid. Armin opened the laptop, typed in the password, then set to work. “How...To kiss...A boy,” he muttered to himself, tapping away on the keyboard faster than Eren could ever understand was humanly possible. The green eyed boy flopped down on the bed with a groan.

“What does it say?” he asked. Swallowing his pride, Armin clicked on the WikiHow page on the screen, taking note that there were thirteen steps to the process of kissing. How on earth could there be that many? Was kissing really that complicated?

“Uhh...It says that the first step is to make sure you have fresh breath.”

Eren pursed his lips at that, then breathed on his palm and sniffed it. “My breath is fine. What’s next?”

Armin scrolled down. “The next two steps are ‘Make sure you’re looking good’ and ‘Find a nice place to kiss’, but those don’t really apply to us, do they?” he asked, glancing back at Eren. He hoped his friend wouldn’t make him do more than absolutely necessary for all this.

“We’re both good looking guys, and your bed is as good a place as any.” Damn. Eren really was going to make him go all out, wasn’t he?

“Ugh, whatever. Let’s see...’Try doing something to take the jitters away by- Oh, _heck_ no,” Armin groaned, “...’By flirting physically’.”

“That’s not happening,” the two boys stated in unison. They glanced at each other again, passing thankful looks to one another before Armin continued to scroll down the page and read the steps aloud.

“‘During the kiss: Move your lips toward him slowly, closing your eyes at the last second’...’Use mostly your lower lip for kissing’...’Keep your lips loose and try to relax’...Eren, I don’t know if I can do this.”

“Armin, you _promised_!”

“ _Ugh_! You owe me big time for going through with this, got it? Now, where was I…? ‘While you’re kissing, try to go for a gentle open-lip kiss’... ‘During the kiss, put your hands around his back and lean toward him’...’As you move away from the kiss, open your eyes’...’Say something nice about him, if you feel like it’. Okay, I’m pretty sure the rest of these steps are useless concerning the two of us, so we’ll leave it at that,” Armin decided, closing his laptop and returning to the bed. Eren sat up and patted the spot beside him. The blond climbed over and sat beside his friend. “Alright, let me see...Fresh breath, looking good, a place to kiss- you’ll do the physical flirtation with Levi-, closing your eyes right before you kiss, using your lower lip, gentle open-mouthed stuff...Am I missing anything?”

“Saying something nice about him,” Eren reminded, grinning and batting his eyelashes playfully at him. “You have such a beautiful smile.”

Armin grinned back and nudged Eren’s arm with his elbow. “Shut up, dummy. This is supposed to be serious, remember?”

“Right, right, sorry.”

They each took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Almost like clockwork, they turned to face each other at the same time. It was the moment of truth. The real deal. Eren was about to kiss his best friend, and Armin was about to kiss his. Again, like the two of them had it choreographed, the boys leaned in until their breath mingled, and closed their eyes.

Eren was scared shitless.

Armin was scared shitless.

Their lips pressed together, nothing more than skin on skin, nothing to start freaking out about. Still, it was...Weird. They were just sitting there now, both red in the face, both completely still. “Um...Eren?” Armin asked, not daring to move his lips away from the other’s. Not after they’d come this far.

“Hm?” Eren replied, too afraid to even move his lips.

“Uh...The next step is to, uh, do that lip thing.”

Eren’s mouth twitched a little as Armin mumbled the reminder.

“What?” the blond asked.

“...It tickles.”

Now Armin’s lips twitched with amusement. “Don’t talk, that tickles.”

“That’s what I’m saying!” Eren mumbled back, laughing with his mouth closed. Air blew out of his nose in his amusement and Armin snickered and scrunched up his face at the feeling of hot air on his face.

“Dude, stop breathing on me,” Armin murmured, laughter in his voice.

“‘M sorry, I can’t help it,” he muttered, trying to contain himself.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened and Armin’s grandfather stepped in with a plate. “I got yer grilled plankton cheese sandwi-...” He stopped in his tracks, eyes going wide. Alarmed, Eren and Armin jumped apart. “No no, don’t mind me. I’ll just...Uh...Come back later…”

The blond boy squeaked in horror and Eren shouted “No!”, but the old man had already backed out of the room. They jumped up and immediately chased after him.

“Grandpa, wait! I was just helping him!” Armin squealed helplessly.

“He was only teaching me how to kiss, I swear! We do _not_ like each other that way!” Eren cried out.

Armin’s grandpa chuckled and raised his hand in surrender, but continued into the living room. “Okay, okay, whatever you say. But you boys were pretty passionate by the looks of it,” the old man teased. Now the two of them were practically mortified.

He set the plate of sandwiches down on the coffee table and settled in his thick recliner, flipping on the T.V. to watch Spongebob like he always did. “ _Grandpa_!” Armin whined, his face beet red. The man chuckled again, and Armin shot an accusing glare at Eren. “Tell him why we were doing that,” he ordered.

Eren ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “I wanted Armin to teach me how to kiss because there’s this guy I really like and I just went out on our technical first date and when we go on our next date I want to make a good impression and be a good kisser.” He explained, all in a single breath.

The old man pursed his lips, considering Eren’s words, then nodded. “Well, I suppose coming to Armin for help with your personal affairs definitely sounds like something you’d do, Eren.”

The boys breathed audible sighs of relief. “Thank you for understanding, Mr. Arlert,” Eren uttered, plopping down on the couch. Armin stepped over and sat beside him, picking up the plate and offering a sandwich to Eren.

“So, you went on a date. Tell me all about it.” Mr. Arlert grinned, his mustache curving upward at each end. He picked up the remote and turned down the volume on the T.V. “What’s that boy’s name, anyways?”

Eren bit into his sandwich and felt his face get hot. “Mn...Levi,” he mumbled around his food. “We went to starbucks and talked for a while, got to know each other a little better.”

“Mhm, and what is it you like about him, exactly? He have a nice ass?”

Armin almost choked on the piece of sandwich he was nibbling on and Eren snorted, breaking into a wide grin. “A _great_ ass, actually. And he’s really interesting, in a weird way, but not in a bad weird way. Levi is good weird. He wiped down the chairs and table we sat at before anything and he told me that he doesn’t like germs. It’s some sort of phobia that starts with an M, I can’t remember.” he replied.

“Mysophobia?” Armin asked.

“Right! That’s what it was! He’s funny, too. The jokes he makes are subtle but really hilarious if you can catch them, and he’s always really blunt and sarcastic and it seems like he gets irritated easily. But I think he likes me, because he...He just says stuff in a way...Like, it’s like his gut reaction is to respond to me like I’m stupid, but a few times he caught himself and was actually sorta nice. I don’t know, maybe it’s hard for him to be affectionate or something.”

Armin frowned while he chewed on his food and swallowed carefully before speaking. “Is it possible that he could just be a jerk? You only met him yesterday, you know. He might not be the kind of guy you think he is.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not like that. He’s just...Rough around the edges. Besides,” Eren took a big bite of his sandwich and spoke around it again. “Even if he does act like a jerk, I already feel a lot for him, and I can’t just stop my feelings.”

“‘Love At First Sight’, right?” Armin’s grandpa guessed. Eren nodded fervently and shoved more grilled cheese in his mouth.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Carla was snoozing softly, the dark circles beneath her eyes softening in her relaxed expression. Though she opened her eyes suddenly, hearing the creak of the front door. “Eren? Honey, are you home?” she called out, her tired voice weak and slightly groggy.

“Sorry, did I wake you?” Eren replied, shutting the door behind him.

“No,” she lied smoothly, not wanting to make him worry, “Did you have a good visit with Mikasa?”

The bright eyed teen made it to Carla’s bedside and smiled, adjusting the sheets here and there. “Yeah, it was great. I went to see Armin after, and he told me to tell you hi from him and his grandpa, and that they hope you feel better.”

Carla nodded and smiled faintly. “I wish I had the strength to visit George and Armin on my own, or maybe bake them a cake or something. They’re always so considerate.” Eren didn’t say anything, so she continued. “So, what did you do while you were with Mikasa? Did you see any fun movies?”

“Uh...We didn’t really watch any movies,” Eren confessed, glancing away. He felt his face get hot, but didn’t stop there.  “I met someone. And, uh, I really like him.” Why was Eren so bashful all of a sudden? He certainly couldn’t lie to his mother, she had a knack for knowing when he was being dishonest. Always saying his ears got red when he fibbed. Still, it was weird. He’d never really talked about this sort of thing with her before, although they’d talked about almost everything else. Not only relationships or dating or having crushes, but they’d never talked about Eren’s sexual preferences in any way. Come to think of it, they hadn’t even had the sex talk. And now, here he was, just casually coming out to his mother that he liked another guy.

“He?” She asked, confused for a moment. But then she smiled, more brightly than Eren had seen in a long time. “What’s his name? What does he look like? Is he cute?” she asked, curious.

The teen blinked stupidly, utterly dumbstruck by his mother’s carefree and accepting reaction. Then again, Carla was _always_ carefree and accepting. Eren stammered a quick response. “Oh, uh, his name is Levi, He’s short and has black hair and a lip piercing, and he’s more hot than cute, to be honest.”

“Levi’s a hot guy name,” Carla agreed, “Darling, would you mind propping my pillows a bit more? Then you can sit next to me and tell me all about him.”

 ****Eren nodded eagerly and stepped over to the head of the bed, gently fluffing up her pillows so she’d be more upright, then he carefully sat by Carla’s legs. He had no clue what to say. Obviously, mentioning his _true_ first meeting with Levi was out of the question. And telling her how old he was would be a no-no too. “Alright,” Eren began, scrambling for something to start out with. “Levi is...Well, like I said, he’s short. I don’t know his exact height, but he’s shorter than me. He has a really serious face, and he wears his hair in an undercut. It’s pretty cool, actually. It looks good on him.”  
  
 ****

Carla nodded along with Eren’s description, painting a mental image in her head. “What color are his eyes?” she inquired.

“Grey,” Eren responded, his reply immediate and knowing. “But not just any old grey. Levi’s eyes make him look like he could stab someone with them. They’re...intense. And cold.”

“That doesn’t sound very pleasant.”

“No no, it’s not unpleasant. It’s striking, really. And pretty. But I’m sure his eyes just look that defined because of the eyeliner. Levi wears eyeliner.” Eren figured he’d get that detail out of the way at the very beginning.

Carla’s eyebrows furrowed, but she continued to nod. She supposed, to her at least, that makeup could be considered gender neutral. God knows there were a fair number of men in the world that needed it, but refused to use it because it was too ‘feminine’. “And you said he had a piercing?” She prompted.

“Yeah, a lip ring. And he wears all black, too, and paints his nails black. I knew he was a Goth person the second I saw him. It was surprisingly attractive. Heh, even in boots, he’s still shorter than me. That _is_ pretty cute,” Eren said, smiling softly. “I saw him at the movies, and after we started talking, he took me to get a drink at Starbucks.” Leaving out the part about them getting kicked out of the cinema was also a smart move. Best not to say anything that could potentially upset her. “Then we got to talk even more, and he’s even more interesting than I thought he’d be.”

“Did you kiss him?” Carla asked.

Eren’s smile dropped before he realized it did, but he made no effort to reconstruct his smile anyway. “No, not yet. He says he doesn’t kiss on the first date.”

Carla could hear the disappointment in his voice. She leaned forward and gently patted his hand. “It’s okay, honey. You’ll just have to take him out on another date,” the woman reasoned.

Eren looked up and met her eyes, his smile returning anew with hope and determination. “That’s what Levi said.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guuuhhh sorry for the long wait. i had serious writer's block and school just started. ugh.


	7. Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren is gone, Mikasa freaks her shit

Mikasa grunted softly as she lifted two big boxes of candy from a low shelf in the stockroom and carried them out to the front counter. She set the boxes down side by side with a huff and pulled her boxcutter out of her back pocket. “Alright, Krista. Better we get the front stocked now rather than have management yell at us when we run out,” she announced, slicing the tops open. The small girl nodded and slid one box toward herself, then started taking out stacks of candy bars and sliding them under the counter.

“Hey...If you don’t mind me asking, why did you send Eren to theater six?” she inquired suddenly.

Mikasa bent down with an armful of candy and placed it all beneath the glass as neatly and swiftly as she could. “Well,” she began, “Last night, Eren saw a really hot guy. It’s really obvious that Eren likes him, too. That guy came in here earlier, so I thought I’d do something nice and give Eren a chance to talk to him.”

Krista grinned, then grabbed some more candy. “I see, so Eren _does_ swing that way. I had my suspicions. And I’m happy, you’re such a good sister. I’ll be doing the same thing for my little brothers when they’re old enough to start dating.”

“‘Old enough to start dating’? I thought parents only put that restraint on girls.”

“My parents don’t believe in society’s gender roles.  They might be little snots now, but I’m proud to say that my brothers are most likely gonna grow up to be non-douchebags. Diamonds in the rough, if you will.”

Mikasa smiled softly.

One of the front doors of the Cinema opened again, and in came Bertholdt, dressed in the standard black shirt, khakis, red vest, and employee nametag. He looked rather cold without one of the sweaters he usually wore. “Oh, hey, Bert. I didn’t know you were working today,” Krista greeted.

“The boss swapped my schedule with Hitch’s,” he explained softly, giving the girls a bashful smile. Bert walked around the counter and into the back room to clock in, then came back out. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“We could get some help with the cleaning,” Mikasa murmured, putting the last of the candy in its proper place.

“I finished three and seven already,” Krista chimed in.

“And I got one and four, and six still has a showing going on. If you could clean theater two, that’d be great.” Mikasa flattened the box and slid it aside, then took Krista’s empty box and flattened that as well.

Bert stiffened a little. “Uh...It didn’t have a showing of the scary movie, did it?” he asked tentatively.

Krista smiled and patted his back. “C’mon, Bert. It’s not _that_ scary. I’m sure there aren’t any demons hiding in there waiting to satanically impregnate you with their seed.”

“ _Im- Impregnate_?!”

“Krista, that’s mean. You know he’s terrified of that stuff,” Mikasa scolded, shooting a glare at Krista. Bertholdt clasped his hands together to keep them from trembling and had already broken out into a frightened sweat. “I’ll clean up theater two for you. Just go in the back and bring out the rest of the candy,” she said. Mikasa took up the dust pan and the broom and walked around the counter, then through the door to the hall of theaters, glaring at Krista again on her way out. The blonde raised her hands in surrender and Mikasa shook her head.

She strode down the long hall to theater two and quietly stepped inside, Eren coming back into her mind as she turned on all the lights. _I wonder if he’s okay,_ Mikasa thought, sweeping up fallen popcorn and discarded straw wrappers, _...I know Eren better than anyone, but I’ve never seen him have a crush on someone before. Maybe I should go check on him when I’m done. He’s probably mortified about last night._ Heaving a sigh, Mikasa continued cleaning hastily and silently, not bothering to go over the top with her sweeping as she usually did. She was anxious to see how Eren was doing on his own, worried that she’d have to figure out some excuses for Eren’s behavior the night before in order to save his dignity. _God knows he’s gonna need all the help he can get if he wants a date with someone like Levi,_ her conscience chimed in, with which she agreed completely. Mikasa didn’t know Levi personally, but she’d definitely known of him for far longer than her brother.

Besides the singing, spouting sarcasm, and grumbling about how gross the undersides of the bar tables were, he seemed to be mostly quiet. When the band stayed after their show for drinks, he wouldn’t sit with them, but instead would lean against a wall in the far corner of the room. Mikasa, quite frankly, found it to be creepy as fuck. But, not entirely intending to eavesdrop, she’d noticed that Levi’s friends still included him in their conversations, even when he was far away. And he’d actually contribute to it without sounding like an asshole, if the conversation was serious. It sort of reminded Mikasa of Winnie the Pooh, with Levi playing the role of Eeyore. She didn’t necessarily believe that Levi was bad. Really, really weird, but not bad. Though, like any good sister, she still had her suspicions.

Once Mikasa was finished, she carried the full dustpan and broom back to the door of the theater and dumped the garbage into the trash can, then shuffled out and down the hall toward theater six after turning off the light. “God, I hope he hasn’t made fool of himself,” she muttered to herself. Very carefully, so as not to disrupt the people watching the movie, Mikasa pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Then, ignoring the suspenseful music blaring from the speakers, she stepped lightly down the short hall and turned the corner to peer up into the seats. After carefully scanning the first row, Mikasa found that Eren wasn’t there. Second row. No Eren. Third. He wasn’t there, either. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Mikasa furrowed her brow as her eyes slid over the last chair of the tenth row, and with a soft hum of irritation, she started from the top and searched downward for him, running her lower lip between her teeth nervously. Eren was nowhere to be found. Did Levi kidnap him? Was the whole ‘Chimera’ thing just a cover up for him being a crazy murderer? Was he part of a satanic cult? Was he gonna sacrifice Eren to Satan? _No, no, be reasonable_ , her conscience ordered. It probably wasn’t anything weird. Eren and Levi were probably just in the bathroom. But why were they in there together? No, that couldn’t be it. Maybe they left together. Maybe Levi dragged him out...Maybe Levi wanted to do horrible things to him...Mikasa swallowed hard, a lead ball of worry dropping to the pit of her stomach. She had to find him. She couldn’t let him get hurt.

Frantic now, Mikasa rushed out of the theater and down the carpeted hall, back out to the front lobby, and tossed the broom and dustpan behind the counter. She narrowly missed Bert’s feet with them. “Sorry, I have to go. Krista, clock me out, I gotta go find Eren,” Mikasa uttered. Without another word, she hurried out of the Cinema and headed home, hoping Armin’s grandpa would let her use his car.

“Holy...What’s gotten into her? I could barely hear what she said,” Bert murmured, afraid to raise his voice even after Mikasa was gone.

Krista bent down and picked up the broom and dustpan with a sigh. “It’s Eren, as usual. I swear, she’s more like a mother to him than a sister,” she replied, leaning the tools against the wall, “I’m guessing he left. God, I’m _so_ glad I don’t have that issue with Ymir. She always wants to be close to me, so I have the satisfaction of getting to keep her all to myself.”

He smiled bashfully at her. “I’m glad the two of you are happy together.”

“You’ll find someone too,” she assured.

“Heh, maybe. But I’m happy with my cats. Really.”

Krista gave Bert a disbelieving look. “Are you saying you don’t like anyone?” She asked.

“What- No! I mean, not that I _do_ like anyone, I just-”

“Hah, too late! you just admitted it,” she said, a sudden mischievous gleam in her eye. “Who?”

Bertholdt went quiet, casting his eyes down to his shoes.

“Come oooooon,” Krista prodded, grinning, giving his side a gentle poke with one small finger.

“...Reiner,” Bert mumbled, sounding hesitant.

“The linebacker?!” she gasped.

Bert blushed and turned his face away.

“Ooooh, that is _really_ cute. Seriously. Can I tell Ymir? I mean, she’s the wide receiver, so maybe she could talk to him in the locker room or something.” Krista rested her hand on Bertholdt’s arm and looked up at him, her eyes bright and hopeful.

He swallowed hard and glanced back down at her, but then his eyes darted away again. “I...Don’t really want that,” he confessed. Krista gave him a questioning look. “I just...I want to get up the courage to talk to him on my own, that’s all. Because I think that no one can tell him how I truly feel except me. A- And I’m not sure if he even likes me back, so I don’t want to put any unnecessary pressure on him,” Bert explained, his blush slowly fading.

Krista’s smile fell, but she patted Bert’s arm encouragingly. “I understand. Do you wanna stop talking about it?” He nodded softly. “Okay, then how about we go back to Ymir and me? She’s gonna have dinner with me and my family for the first time tonight and I’m sorta freaking out. I mean, my parents aren’t judgemental or anything, but she’s not exactly polite to people who aren’t me.”

“I think that if Ymir really cares about you and respects you, she’ll respect your parents, too,” Bert reasoned softly.

She shrugged and smiled. “God, I hope so. At the very least, I hope she doesn’t burp at the table and ask me to rate it.”

\---------------------------------------------

As Mikasa neared the apartment building, she broke into a run and burst through the front entrance, then dashed up the stairs to Armin’s apartment door. Bouncing on her feet almost frantically, she knocked on the door, her fist trembling. It felt like hours before Armin finally opened the door. His bangs were clipped back and a napkin was in his hand. “Oh, hey, Mikasa. Excuse my appearance, I was just eating din-”

“Have you seen Eren? Can I use your grandpa’s car? I think he’s missing,” she interrupted.

Armin’s brows furrowed for a moment, but then his face smoothed out as understanding hit him. “Don’t worry, Eren’s home. He came over earlier, and I promise that he was totally safe and completely unharmed the last time I saw him,” he assured, looking at her with a soft, knowing gaze.

Mikasa suddenly got very quiet, going so still for a moment that Armin could’ve guessed she’d turned to stone. She reached up to touch her scarf, but curled her hand into a fist again when her fingers only felt the collar of her shirt. She looked away, downward, ashamed and embarrassed that she had acted so rash. “Sorry,” she muttered, her voice barely audible.

“Hey,” Armin called, reaching out with his free hand. Shyly, he let his fingertips touch Mikasa’s fist. After a moment of silence, it uncurled. “It’s perfectly natural to worry about him. I do, too. So there’s no reason for you to feel guilty about wanting to protect him, okay?” Armin’s voice was so soft, so sure. Mikasa relaxed, her shoulders lowering from tense squares she didn’t realize they’d been in. ****

Armin smiled. “Go on home, Mikasa. Eren’s waiting for you, safe and sound.” He squeezed Mikasa’s fingers and gently took his hand away, and the girl gave a soft nod. After Armin closed the door, Mikasa  turned away and pulled her house key out of her back pocket. But when she took hold of the doorknob, it turned easily.  She stepped inside and glanced over to the kitchen, where her eyes met the back of Eren’s head and her heart swelled with happiness. Eren was okay. He was really okay. Sighing softly, Mikasa closed the door behind her, alerting the others of her presence.

“Mikasa…?” Carla called, her weak voice softened by the fact that her bed was facing away from the door.

Eren turned from his work in the kitchen and grinned. “Hey, you’re home! Just let me finish making dinner for mom, then I gotta tell you what happened with me and Levi.”

Mikasa nodded and slipped off her shoes, then walked numbly to their bedroom. After closing the door behind her, Mikasa's eyes slid shut, and she took a deep breath. _Eren is okay,_ she thought. _He's safe._ Just then, Mikasa let her mind wander to the past.

She sat at the kitchen table with her mother, learning how to sew a dress she had torn. "I swear, all your clothes are gonna be in tatters by the time school's out," her mother said, smiling down at Mikasa. "We'll have to buy you some jeans that you can play in when you want to rough house. And maybe a pair for when you work in the garden with me, too. Would you like that?"

"Of course I would, Mommy! But I also like the dresses I wear, so could we maybe please get a new one of those too...? Maybe a purple one?" she asked, pushing her lower lip out and widening her eyes as adorably as she could manage.

Her mother giggled softly. "We'll have to see. Daddy got his paycheck today, so you should ask _him_."

Mikasa's gaze shot to her father, who laughed just from feeling her eyes bore into his back while he washed the dishes. "Daddy, pleeeeaassseee?" Mikasa begged, putting on her best pouty face again.

He looked at her, his heart melting. It was obvious in his eyes. "Maybe, princess. If you're a good girl and get an A on your spelling test tomorrow, there just might be enough money set aside for some new clothes," he said, giving Mikasa a little wink.

She beamed.

"Oh, Gretchen, before I forget- Dr. Jaeger is coming over with your insulin today," her father continued, now addressing her mother. "He said he'd be here before six thirty, so it won't be long."

Mikasa's mother, holding the needle and cloth in a careful grasp, touched her free hand to her heart. "Gosh, Dr. Jaeger is such a nice man. I don't know how we'll ever be able to repay him for this," she whispered, shaking her head a little. Then, smiling again, she looked back at Mikasa. "Honey, why don't we make something special for Dr. Jaeger? Mommy can't afford her insulin all by herself, so he was nice enough to help her get it every week. Do you think you could help me put something together to thank him?"

"Oooh! We could cook him a big dinner!" Mikasa grinned. "Or we could make him a dress just like mine!"

At that, Mikasa's mother and father both laughed heartily, as did she.

There was a sudden stern knock at the door.

"Oh, speak of the devil!" Mikasa's father took a washcloth into his hands and wiped his fingers clean of the soap, then strode over to the front door.

The next part was all a blur to Mikasa. The flash of a knife, the deafening pop of a gunshot. Three big men.

All that blood.

Mikasa shook her head rapidly, jostling the thoughts away. She was in her room again. With another slow breath, she approached her bed and slumped down on the edge of it. She wiped the back of her hand across her now sweaty forehead and tried to keep the horrible memories caged, as they always were. But with her growing headache, particularly in the side of her head, she couldn't help but remember what it felt like to be pistol-whipped.

Mikasa woke up on the concrete floor of a warehouse, a place where the air was damp and her body was cold. Mikasa always hated the cold. It was painful to open her eyes any further than a squint, but when she did, she saw two men before her. One sitting, the other pacing. "You think they'll take her?" the one pacing asked, rubbing his hands together in a nervous looking gesture.

"Well, she's a little banged up, but she's still a virgin. And she's young. Looks like her body's gonna develop nicely, too. There're plenty of European perverts who would kill to get their hands on a gem like that. Crazy old bastards, but they pay good money," the sitting one replied. “Even though Reggie got a few fingers in her earlier, I’m sure it won’t make her any less valuable.

"But," he continued suddenly, "If we'd brought the mother along _with_ her, we could've made them a package deal and gotten _three times_ as much cash."

"I know that!" the pacing one snapped. "It's not my fault she struggled so much..."

"No, it's just your fault that you're trigger happy."

"I am _not_ trigger happy."

"Fine, then you've got twitchy fingers."

The men glared at each other, but at the long, slow creak of the warehouse door being opened, their eyes shot over to the intruder. A small head peeked into the room, bringing with it a few sniffles and soft cries. "E- Excuse me- e, is anyone in here...?" A small boy asked, looking at the two men with wide, vibrantly green, utterly hopeless eyes.

Glancing back at the man who was sitting, the one who had once been pacing stepped over to the door, a pleasant look on his face. "Hey, kiddo. What are you doing, way out here in the bad side of town?"

"I- I got lost..." he began, sniffling again. The man smiled more gently and patted the top of the boy's head.

"It's okay, we'll help you find your mommy and daddy soon, alright? Don't cry." the man said.

The boy's expression changed. Fast as lightning, his hand shot up, and the man's smile fell to limp lips. "Thanks, Mister," the boy said, twisting the knife he'd just jammed into the man's throat, "but I won't be needing your help, and don't tell me what to do."

The boy yanked the knife out, and the man fell. The sitting man stood abruptly. “What the fuck?! Tony, what-” The boy glared menacingly at the man, then shut the door in front of him. “Hey!” He started toward the door, but it suddenly flew open again and a gallon of milk hit the man in the face. He toppled to the floor and the boy jumped on top of him, wildly slamming the knife down over and over and over again.

Through the ringing in her ears, Mikasa heard the boy sobbing.

“Die...Die….Die...You fucking scum...You fucking _monsters_!” the boy cried, “You don’t deserve to live...While you take away innocent lives! _FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCKING DIE, DIE, DIE!!_ ” he screamed as if _he_ were the one being stabbed to death. It was a long time before the boy seemed to tire himself out, and when he did, his hands, his shirt, and the frayed end of the red scarf he was wearing were dripping with blood. He slowly set the knife down, his wide eyes slowly turning to Mikasa. “It’s okay…” he panted, “You’re safe now. Nobody’s gonna hurt you…”  He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, trembling.

“Mnnh…” Mikasa whimpered pitifully and tried to sit up, but there was something sticky wrapped around her wrists that kept her from moving them, and as she realized it, she found that her ankles were bound as well.

“Oh, right. Sorry,” the boy muttered, getting off the man’s body and picking up the knife again. He stepped around Mikasa, his knees buckling and his hands still quivering. His entire body seemed to be twitching in one way or another. But Mikasa figured, grimly, that she’d be shaking all over as well if she had to...Kill someone. As the boy sliced off the tape that confined her, she rubbed her sore wrists and saw that she _was_ shaking. The boy mentioned that his name was Eren Jaeger, and that his father knew Mikasa’s family.

Mikasa swallowed hard and sat up, though her head and her lower half were aching. “There were three,” She recalled softly.

“Huh?”

“What the _fuck?_ ” A man stepped into the warehouse, his eyes enraged as they fell upon the other two men lying on the floor. “You killed them?!” he roared, stomping over to Eren. With a gasp, Eren grabbed for the knife, but the man kicked it out of the way. Then he wrapped his hand around Eren’s throat and lifted him off the ground. “You little _shit_ ,” the man spat, “You want a few fingers jammed in you, too?” ** ******

Eren kicked at the man in defiance, scratched at his hands, glared at him with all his eight-year-old might. It seemed apparent that he wouldn’t submit to anyone easily. The whole thing frightened Mikasa. She sat, wide eyed, the knife right beside her. And she had no idea what to do. “F- _Fight_!” Eren choked out, his eyes on her, now. “Fight...Or _die_! If you don’t fi-”

“Shut up!” In a rage, the man squeezed Eren’s throat more tightly, completely cutting off what little air supply he had left. He just thrashed about quietly in the man’s hands, now, looking at Mikasa, his eyes screaming for help.

 _Fight_ , she thought. _I have to fight. But...Why? I could just run away if I…_ She tried to get up, but a sudden sharp pain in her lower region kept her down. It had hurt a lot, and it frightened her more. “Why…?” she whispered to herself. But then it suddenly clicked together.

_“Even though Reggie got a few fingers in her earlier, I’m sure it won’t make her any less valuable.”_

_“You want a few fingers jammed in you, too?”_

Mikasa put a hand to her stomach and was sure she was going to throw up. That man, that sick, gross, disgusting man had put his hands on her, and in a place her mother said no one but herself could ever put their hands. He was a monster. Scum. Mikasa remembered what Eren had done to the other monsters. Was that what she had to do, now? No, that wasn’t the right question. Was that what she _wanted_ to do? It didn’t take her more than a few seconds to decide.

Mikasa picked up the knife, sticky with drying blood, and clenched it hard in her hand. _Fight. Fight the monster who violated you. Fight for the boy who saved your life. Save him, now. You can do it. Fight. Fight. Fight!_ She took a deep breath, and her body stilled. She stood, and although the pain pierced her once again, it was only brief. _You have nothing to lose. Kill it. Kill the monster. Kill it._ With a fierce scream, Mikasa charged at the man from behind and slammed the knife into his back as hard as she could. He dropped Eren to the floor, and Mikasa cried, “Get out of the way!” before the man toppled forward and collapsed on the floor. Eren rolled away from the man as he fell, gasping for breath.

Mikasa stood over the body, still as a statue, completely unsatisfied by how quickly the man died. He hadn’t deserved a quick death. She stepped forward and glared down at the man’s limp right hand, then pressed the heel of her bare foot to the palm of it. She raised her foot, then set it down harder. Then she did it again, even harder than before. Mikasa raised her foot and set it down on the man’s hand repeatedly until she was stomping on it hard, feeling the bones break beneath her heel. Then she stepped over to his left hand and did the same, stomping until all the bones were broken. It was an euphoric feeling, one that made her unconsciously tap her foot.

“Mikasa. Mikasa!” Eren called out. “Snap out of it, come on. Are you okay?” Mikasa opened her eyes, and again, she was in the bedroom. Eren was holding her hands, a look of concern on his face. She stared at him for a long moment, blinking only once, unable to say a word. “...You were thinking about it, weren’t you?” he asked, his voice softer. She nodded numbly, and Eren wrapped his arms around her. She nuzzled his shoulder. “Why…?”

“I got scared,” Mikasa confessed, raising her arms and draping them limply on Eren’s back. “I went to check on you...But you weren’t there. I just...I was so scared that something happened to you…” She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I’m trying not to be overbearing, but knowing that you were with a guy you only met yesterday, I just thought… He could’ve done something… My imagination ran away with me. I’m sorry.”

“Shh, it’s okay. You of all people should know that I can take care of myself when it comes to that,” he chuckled quietly, rubbing Mikasa’s back lovingly. She smiled a little.

“Yeah, you’re right,” she murmured.

“Here, let’s get your scarf on you, okay?” Eren gently pulled away and stepped over to the head of her bed, then lifted the pillow. She always kept it under there when it wasn’t on her. “I noticed you weren’t wearing it at work, today. I know it makes you feel better, so…” Eren wrapped the scarf snugly around Mikasa’s neck and smiled at her. She inhaled the scent of it deeply.

“Thank you,” she breathed, “Tell me what happened with Levi. Why did you leave?”

Eren sat down next to Mikasa, chuckling nervously and rubbing at the back of his head. “Uh, actually...We were sorta kicked out.”

“Eren, what did you do?!”

“Nothing! I just got all nervous and talked sorta loud, that’s all.”

Eren explained what had happened between he and Levi, growing more and more excited by the second, especially at the end when they’d mutually decided to go on another date. “We have to plan something, then,” Mikasa decided. “And we’re going back to Legion tonight. C’mon, let’s get you ready,” she said, standing and pulling Eren up with her. She lead him over to their small closet and Eren bounced happily behind her.

“Can you find something black for me to wear?” Eren asked brightly. “And...Maybe some eyeliner?”

“You really want to impress Levi, don’t you?” Mikasa snorted and pulled out an old black T-shirt of hers, then tossed it at Eren. “What sort of date setting do you think someone like Levi would like?”

Eren pulled off his own T-shirt and draped on the black one, the small frame of it hugging his body snugly enough to emphasize his lean figure. “Uh...A cemetery, maybe? Yeah! We could do a picnic in the cemetery! That’s romantic, right?”

Mikasa nodded as she pulled out an old makeup bag and started rummaging through it. “For a Goth guy, yeah. Oh, and bring a blanket, too.”

“So he doesn't have to touch the dirt on the ground!” Eren finished. Mikasa pulled out a half finished stick of eyeliner and smiled at Eren.

“Right. And when do you want to have your date? What food do you want to bring?”

“Eh, I’ll think of food later. Would it be weird to have candles light everything? I want it to be at night. Midnight, tomorrow. That’s the most romantic time I can think of. And he won’t have to be out in the sun, either.”

“How do you know he doesn't like the sun?”

“He’s pale. I’m making an educated guess.”

Mikasa snorted. “Alright, smart guy. Sit on the bed again so I can get this shit on your eyes,” she ordered. “We can leave at eleven again and you can totally make Levi fall in love with you as soon as you walk in.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Eren asked, obediently plopping down on the edge of the bed.

“Only a little bit,” Mikasa replied, sitting next to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ughhhh i am so sorry this took so long. between school and social shit and my confidence issues about writing and shit like that, it took me a while to get out of my writer's block rut.


	8. Coke

"Petra! Auruo!" Levi snapped.

The two darted away from each other and pretended to tune their instruments.

Erd rolled his eyes. "Can you guys tongue-fuck some other time?"

"That's not tongue fucking," Auruo replied, "I'll tell you what tongue fucking is. It's-"

"Fine, playing tonsil hockey, then!" Erd quickly interrupted, unwilling to hear Auruo’s explanation.

"I didn't lay a finger on Auruo's tonsils!...Or a tongue, even," Petra defended.

“I don’t care _what_  the fuck you guys were doing, it’s time to get back to practice. The five minute break ended ten minutes ago, so we need to work,” Levi scolded. “Now." Levi glared at the three of them, then cast a glance over to Gunther, who sat quietly at his drum set and sipped at a steaming styrofoam cup. "Come on, let's take it from the top. Ready?"

Gunther set his drink down, Petra strummed her guitar, Erd tuned his base, and Auruo checked the keys on his keytar.

"Alright," Levi said, gripping the microphone. "One, two, three, four."

The song they played was gentle on Auruo's fingers, with only a few strums on Erd's and Petra's guitars, the beat gradually increasing to the chorus, then slowing down to a steady pace, then increasing again.

_"We don't know what is wrong tonight,_

_everybody's got no place to hide._

_No one's left and there's no way to go on,_

_all I know is that my life is gone..."_ Levi sang.

_"I cry, missing my lover..._

_I don't have the power_

_on my side forever..._

_OH! WHERE IS MY LOVER?_

_AND I'VE GOT NO POWER_

_I'M STANDING ALONE, NO WAAAAAAAAAAAAY_

_CALLING OUT YOUR NAAAAAAAAAAAAME!_ "

Auruo's fingers glided gently again, Petra and Erd strummed a few times, and the song ended.

"Good," Levi breathed.

"We should save that one for a special occasion, it's too pretty to play for just any performance. Maybe we can do an anti- Valentine's day thing!" Petra said, grinning.

"Anti?!" Auruo asked, sounding utterly offended.

Levi nodded. "What if we play Three Days Grace tonight? We could try Get out Alive."

"As long as I can practice the change in tempo after the seventeenth measure," Gunther lifted his drumsticks.

"Need the sheet music?"

Gunther nodded, and Erd set a music stand in front of him. The bandmates quietly listened as Gunther played, gently humming their own respective parts. _I wonder if Eren is into music like this...I never asked him what kind he liked,_ Levi thought. _Then again, he said he liked the songs we play, so it wouldn't be hard to guess that rock is a genre he enjoys. I wonder what else he likes. Fuck, I wish we could've talked longer. I hope he shows up tonight. He seemed bummed when I told him I don't kiss on the first date...Fuck, why did I even say that? I haven't even been on a date in...What, four years? And suddenly I'm going places with some sixteen year old brat? What's wrong with me? Ugh. God, I wish I would've just kissed him. He wanted to. I wanted to. I am such a fucking chicken. I ca-_

"Levi!"

"What?!"

"I said 'Is this good enough to pass for the performance tonight?'" Gunther repeated.

Levi gave an affirmative nod, as if he'd been listening the entire time. "It's definitely good enough. Let's practice the chorus, okay? Still, even if it's not perfect, we're playing at a bar. It's not like we're out to impress anyone important."

\-------------------------------

As the band started setting up their equipment on the stage, Mike turned on the bar lights and Nanaba wiped off the bar stools. _I wonder when Eren's gonna get here,_ Levi thought, testing the sound on his microphone with a few 'one, two, three's. _I wonder if that girl is going to be with him again. Maybe she's the sister he talked about..._

"Levi, you seem distracted," Petra said, blinking at him.  She set her violin down on its stand next to her brightly colored guitar, leaving them for a moment to go to Levi’s side.

"Yeah, you've been out of it since you came to practice. The hell's going on with you?" Auruo added.

Levi rolled his eyes. "Fuck off, I just got stuff on my mind, that's all," he muttered.

“I bet I know what’s got our little leprechaun’s head in the clouds,” Hanji said, smiling knowingly down at Levi as she made her way from the left wing to center stage. “Bet you all a hundred bucks that Levi met someone~”

“Where the fuck have you been?” Levi asked, ignoring her words. “You’re starting to be a sorry excuse for a manager.”

Hanji shrugged and adjusted her glasses. “It’s mine and Moblit’s anniversary today, so I have a reason to be late.”

“What, he cook you a big dinner so it took you an hour to shit it out?” Levi growled.

“Actually, no. It only took me twenty two minutes. Then we lost track of time fucking each other’s brains out all day.”

Levi grimaced. “Okay, that is _not_ an image I wanted to see.”

“All over the house,” she continued, “On the couch, on the floor, on the kitchen counter, on the dining room table- We were sure to take periodic bathroom breaks and eat a few snacks and drink some water, gotta stay hydrated for the rigorous activity, you know- We obviously did it in the bedroom, then in my office, against the wall in the hallway, in the pool...Today was fucking awesome.”

“Ew. I hope to Christ you plan on disinfecting that whole place, or I’m never coming over again.”

“That’s fine. You can just go to your new girlfriend’s house instead~ Or...Is it a boyfriend?”

Levi gave her an icy look, which she deflected with a smile. “Fuck. Off.” he said, his face getting hot. Hanji snickered and stepped off the stage, patting Levi’s back on the way out.

Erd stepped up on stage and gingerly patted the top of Levi's head. "You better hope that whatever’s on your mind doesn't make you forget any lyrics, then. Is everybody ready? Mike says the bar's gonna open in a few minutes, but he can already smell some of the regulars coming down the street."

"Oi, Mike! Why don't you use that nose of yours to find some damned hand sanitizer for this nasty ass joint!" Levi yelled into his microphone.

With a smirk, Mike reached into his apron pocket and set a teeny bottle of hand sanitizer on the bar. Levi glared at him.

Just then, Nanaba opened the doors. A large group piled in, and Levi found himself searching...Searching...No Eren. Petra tapped his shoulder and when he looked back, the rest of the band had started playing their parts. _What song is this? Buried Alive. Creature Feature. Right._ Levi quickly turned back to the crowd and and began to sing.

\-------------------------------

Eren stepped through the entrance of Legion, fighting the urge to rub at his itchy eyes. He had a leather jacket on over his T-shirt and, quite frankly, felt cool as hell. Mikasa followed in after him, glancing over at the bar wistfully. She wanted a drink after nearly having a panic attack over Eren that day, but she still wanted to be sober enough to make sure Eren was still safe. Although she was less suspicious of Levi now, there were still potential pervy strangers on the dance floor that would probably try and take advantage of Eren. Or that was what her cautious mind taught her to think, anyways.

Levi was up on the stage, singing Voltaire’s Headless Waltz, his voice as beautiful and fluid as ever. Eren sighed dreamily and took Mikasa over to an empty table, waving to the stage with a big grin.

“ _Wipe that damn smile off your face_!” Levi sang, catching Eren’s gaze and smirking at him.

_“Or we’ll lop it off clean with our new guillotine,_

_sharpen up the blade, boys!_

_What are you waiting for? Here’s where we all get a_

_Head!”_

Eren only smiled wider as he sat. He noticed that the pretty guitarist from before wasn’t playing a guitar anymore, but rather, a violin. The guy who looked like Jean had a tambourine, and was beating it against his leg to the fast beat of the drums. The tall blonde with the small beard had a cello. Eren blinked, impressed beyond all belief that Levi’s bandmates were capable of playing so many instruments. Looking back at Levi again, Eren wondered what sort of instruments he knew how to play. Probably something cool.

Eren sat through seven more songs from seven different artists, and never once took his eyes off Levi. Even when he stepped back for the girl to take her guitar solo in a song Eren didn’t recognise, he watched while Levi took a quick breather and a drink of water. Levi was too dreamy for Eren to take his eyes off of him, and occasionally, he’d look over to where Eren sat as he sang, and it almost gave the illusion that Levi was singing to him. It made Eren feel giddy. “Eren,” Mikasa whispered, poking his arm.

“Huh?” Eren tore his eyes from Levi and looked over at his sister.

She sighed. “You’re acting like a little puppy dog. Relax. They’ll be done soon.”

Eren smiled bashfully and felt his face get a little hot. “Sorry. Guess I’m just excited,” he said, glancing over to the bar. “Wanna get a drink?”

Mikasa shrugged and reached into her back pocket. She pulled out a small roll of bills that made Eren blink in surprise. “Before you jump to conclusions, this is just seven month’s worth of money I set aside from my paycheck. The rest went to Mom’s medical expenses, I promise.” she assured, sifting through the cash and pulling out a ten dollar bill. “Get me a Strawberry Daiquiri. You can get a coke.”

“A coke? Why not a beer?” Eren asked, furrowing his brow.

“Do you _want_ to end up as shitfaced as you were last night?”

Eren didn’t understand how one beer could get him shitfaced, but he knew that it was better to be safe than sorry. He took Mikasa’s money and stepped over to the bar, showed his I.D., then paid for the drinks. But when Eren turned back, he saw Levi sitting in his spot at the table. The Goth waved at him, and Eren shot a confused look up at the stage. The girl was singing now, along with Old Man Jean. Eren tried to contain a smile as he turned back to the bar and looked for something to get for Levi. _He doesn’t like beer_ , Eren remembered. After ordering a glass of wine with the leftover change from the coke and strawberry daiquiri purchases, Eren juggled all three drinks and returned to the table. “Hi,” he breathed, grinning at Levi.

“Hi,” Levi said, taking the wine and mumbling a soft “thanks” before pulling his wallet out and getting a sanitary wipe. “I don’t trust any glass they hand out,” he explained. Mikasa took her drink and stirred it, then kicked Eren under the table with her foot. He quickly sat down and took a few gulps of his coke.

“We were just talking about you, Eren,” Mikasa said, grabbing his attention.

“Your fashion choices, to be specific,” Levi added. His lip ring clinked against the glass as he took a sip. Eren felt his face start to get hot.

Did Mikasa tell Levi that Eren only dressed that way to impress him? Well, it didn’t really matter, because the next words out of Eren’s mouth were “Do you like it..?” His tone was uncertain, almost shy.

Levi snorted. “You’re wearing _eyeliner_ , for Cripe’s sake. I should just marry you right here.” Eren sensed sarcasm in Levi’s voice, but he continued. “Seriously, though. It’s sorta cute that you’d dress up like this for me.”

There was a sincerity laced in Levi’s tone now, and it made Eren’s heart flutter. “Heh, thanks. Why aren’t you singing right now?”

“My throat is starting to hurt. Don’t wanna fuck up my vocal chords,” Levi explained. “Mikasa, is it?” he asked, looking back at her. She nodded. “Do you sing or anything? You in the school choir?” Levi smiled pleasantly as he asked his question. Holy shit, he actually _smiled_. Eren blinked a few times in his surprise, but remained quiet.

“No,” Mikasa said, politely returning a soft smile before her expression went back to it’s natural, neutral look. “I’m not really into music. I’m more of a writer. I do have friends in choir, though.”

Levi nodded. “That’s nice. What sort of things do you like to write?”

“Argument papers, mostly. I guess I like swaying peoples’ opinions.” Mikasa shrugged. **  
 ******

“Hm. Interesting.” Levi took another swig of his drink and glanced up at the stage after the song came to a close. Petra, Auruo, Erd, and Gunther were exiting the stage with their instruments and the regular DJ stepped on, grabbing the microphone from its stand and rapping to the audience. Levi groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose between his index finger and thumb. “Prepare yourselves,” he warned, “My band is full of idiots.” A moment later, he heard them approach.

“Levi!” Petra called out, making her way through the crowd and to the table. The others followed and crowded around her. Eren stiffened up and continued to quietly drink. Why did he feel like he was meeting Levi’s family? “Hey,” she said, grinning at Levi, then at Eren and Mikasa. “New friends of yours?”

“Yes, and I was just about to drive them home,” Levi replied, standing abruptly.

Eren frowned. “Take us home? But we just got here!” he complained.

“You’ve been here for half an hour, Brat. Besides, it’s way past your bedtime.”

Petra tilted her head in confusion, then narrowed her eyes at Levi. “You’re just trying to get them away from us, aren’t you? Hi, my name is Petra. This is Auruo, Gunther, and Erd. We’re all very pleased to meet you two. What’re your names?” Petra smiled sweetly and held out her hand. Eren faintly noticed, now that he got a good look at her, that there were odd looking tattoo marks at the tops of her shoulders, like there was something on her back. He took her hand and shook it.

“My name is Eren, and this is my sister, Mikasa,” he said, smiling back at her.

Petra nodded sweetly, but Auruo gasped as if a sudden realization occurred to him. “Hey, you’re that guy from the other night, aren’t you?” he asked, pointing at Eren suspiciously.

Eren’s eyes went wide and his hand got stiff in Petra’s. “What do you mean…?” Although he could feign ignorance all he wanted, Eren saw looks of enlightenment slowly come to the rest of the band members’ faces, and he knew that his drunkenness the night before was about to bite him in the ass.

“Oh my God, that was you? The one who said-”  
“‘Sing some more, Goth boy’!” Erd and Gunther cried out in unison, bursting out in laughter. Levi groaned again and Mikasa bit her lip, her shoulders quivering from her own repressed giggles. Eren felt his face start to get hot.

Levi swatted an annoyed hand at them. “Would you guys fucking stop it? He’s embarrassed enough already,” he grumbled. Eren quickly shot him a grateful glance.

Petra squeezed Eren’s hand and smiled at him again. “Sorry, we couldn’t help it. When we walked off stage last night, we all just sorta stopped right behind the curtain and Erd was like ‘...I’m not the only one who heard that, right?’ Then we all looked back and saw Levi staring out into the crowd and we were all just like _oh my god someone actually said it_ and we just fucking lost it,” she explained. “God, it is so awesome to actually meet you. I take it you’re as mesmerized by Levi’s voice as the rest of us.”

“Go fuck Auruo with your strap-on, bitch,” Levi sneered.

Erd snorted. “See? His vocabulary is so eloquent and beautiful.”

“That’s our Levi,” Gunther added.

Auruo blushed and looked away.

“Maybe you _should_ take us home, Levi,” Mikasa said, slurping at her drink through the little red stirrer in it. “It’s getting pretty late.”

Eren frowned and looked back at her. “But Mikasa-” She gave him a look. He stopped. Then Mikasa glanced at Levi, then back at Eren, and raised her eyebrows. The expression read _This is a chance for you to have some alone time with Levi, dumbass_. Slowly, Eren nodded. “She’s right, Levi should take us home.”

“Awh, but we just met,” Petra whined.

“Quit being a baby,” Levi scolded, pushing in the chair in which he was previously seated. “Down your drinks fast, I’m not gonna wait for you.” And with that, he shoved his hands into his pockets and headed toward the front entrance. Eren forgot all about his drink and followed Levi like a lost puppy.

Petra sighed. “Bye, then! Drive careful, Levi!” she called out. Mikasa held the stirrer to the side with her finger and downed half of her drink before chasing after Eren and Levi, catching up to them just as they got to the door.

“My car’s parked across the street,” Levi said, gesturing over to the Mercedes with his chin. The three of them crossed the road, and after taking out his car keys and pressing the button that made it go _Beep Beep_ , they piled in. Mikasa slid into the back seat, but when Eren tried to get in after her, she pushed him away and cast a meaningful glance toward the passenger seat. With a bashful smile, Eren got in next to Levi.

Levi turned on the ignition, slid out from his spot between two other cars, and headed in the direction of Eren and Mikasa’s apartment building. “Thanks for offering to drive us, by the way,” Mikasa muttered.

“Oh, right! Thank you!” Eren added.

“Not a problem,” Levi replied, glancing back to smile at Mikasa. Eren furrowed his brow again. _Why does he keep smiling at her_? He wondered. The car ride was silent the rest of the way, and as soon as Levi pulled up to the old building, Mikasa leaned forward and whispered in Eren’s ear.

“I’m gonna go ahead and get inside. I’ll give you two some privacy.” Eren bit his lip, holding back a grin, and Mikasa stepped out without another word, shutting the door behind her.

They sat in silence for a moment, and his smile slowly faded.

“...Levi?” Eren asked.

“What is it?”

“Is it okay if I ask why you were so nice to my sister? I mean, not that I don’t think you’re a nice person or anything, it just...Seemed like you put effort into being nice to her.”

Levi shrugged and glanced at Mikasa as she climbed up the fire escape. “I guess this sounds shallow as hell, but I was nice to her because of what you told me yesterday.”

Eren blinked. “You mean about what happened to her?”

“Yeah,” he replied, “I really hate pedophiles. They’re the goddamn scum of the earth. Less than that, even. I know people who’ve been fucked up by monsters like that. There isn’t shit anyone can do to make them feel better or to make the memories go away. There’s nothing anyone can do to fix what happened. So the next best thing is to just be nice as fuck to them.”

Eren looked up at Mikasa while she climbed through their bedroom window. He knew all too well how much those memories haunted her. “Yeah, you’re right,” he murmured. Abruptly, he remembered the date plan. “Oh! I have something to ask you, by the way.”

“Do you, now?” Levi asked.

Eren looked back at Levi and smiled a little bit, slowly enveloping himself in a sense of awkwardness. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it.

Levi had the sudden urge to kiss Eren.

“So...Are you free tomorrow night? Or the night after? I sorta made a plan for a date, if you want to do it,” Eren began shyly.

Eren's lips looked so soft when he spoke like that. "Oh?"

“Yeah, I thought we could...Uh...Have a picnic. In the town cemetery. At midnight.”

Distracted, Levi’s eyes flicked up to meet Eren’s gaze. “The town cemetery? Do you like cemeteries or something?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Eren broke into a smile and glanced away. “Well, not necessarily. But I thought you’d like it, so I wanted to go there. And we’d have a blanket and everything, so you wouldn’t have to sit on the dirt or the grass if you didn’t want to. And since Starbucks closes at eleven, I could try to make you a green tea latte on my own.”

His eyebrows furrowing now, the corner of Levi’s lips twitched upward. “You really thought of everything, didn’t you?”

Eren shrugged and nervously rubbed at the back of his neck. “Not really, I still gotta figure out what to bring to eat. I don’t have all that much money, so…” Trailing off, Eren folded his hands in his lap. Levi’s eyes briefly glimpsed down at his lips again. Ugh, Eren was being cute again. Not that being poor was cute.

“Don’t worry about it. You can just bring whatever you’ve got,” Levi assured.

Perking up again, Eren’s hands balled into fists. Excitement suddenly flowed throughout his body. “So you wanna go? Can you meet me there tomorrow?”

“Not tomorrow. I have work, then a reception gig after that. The band isn’t scheduled to play on Friday night, though. Friday’s good for me.”

Eren’s heart sank a bit at ‘ _Not tomorrow_ ’, but ‘ _Friday’s good for me_ ’ had his heart racing. “Good! Good,” he said, trying to keep calm. He leaned in unthinkingly to give Levi a little peck of gratitude, but paused. Bashfully, Eren leaned back in his seat again and started fumbling with his seat belt. “Well, uh, goodnight, then,” he stammered softly.

Levi bit at his lip ring and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. It felt too late to try and go for a kiss now. “Goodnight. I’ll see you Friday. You should get some sleep tomorrow night instead of sneaking out to Legion.”

Eren opened the door and smiled at Levi again. “Okay, I’ll do that,” he promised as he stepped out. After shutting the door, Eren leaned down and waved at Levi through the glass of the passenger window. “Bye,” Eren said. He wasn’t even sure if Levi could hear him, but he wanted to say it anyways.

Levi gave a halfhearted smile and backed out of his parking space, then drove down the street.

 _Damn it, why didn’t I just kiss him?_ he thought, mentally kicking himself.

 _I can’t believe I almost tried to kiss him_ , Eren thought, mortified, slapping his hand to his face.

******  
  
  
**

**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
**


	9. Green Tea Latte

Eren climbed through the bedroom window silently and closed it as quietly as he could before he plopped down on his bed and started unlacing his shoes. “How’d it go?” Mikasa asked, pulling on a large shirt over her bare chest. Eren saw that she’d already wriggled out of her pants and discarded them on the floor.

“It was great, at _first_. I asked him out, he said yes, and I got so excited that I just...Ugh. I tried to kiss him. God, I’m so stupid. I wasn’t even thinking. Can you help me get this eyeliner off?”

She snorted and stepped over to him, gently ruffling his hair. “Don’t worry about embarrassing yourself. If Levi didn’t like you, he wouldn’t have come to our table tonight. And he wouldn’t have driven us home. And he _definitely_ wouldn’t have accepted a second date,” Mikasa assured, “Let’s go to the bathroom to get the makeup off. After we get that shit off your face, I need to sleep. I, unlike you, have to go to school.” Eren snorted now, and grinned widely up at her.

“Thanks, Mikasa. You’re the best,” he said.

“Just looking out for you, Eren,” she replied.

The next morning, Eren was up early. He scurried busily around the kitchen, looking for containers and bread and peanut butter, occasionally taking breaks to search under the cushion of their old reclinerfor loose change to go toward the purchase of green tea. Mikasa and Grisha were gone already, and Carla was asleep. Glancing up at the analog clock on the front wall, a long crack along it’s glass face, Eren saw that it was already nearly ten O’clock. Almost time to wake her up and give her the usual morning pills. Eren dashed back to the kitchen and dropped some bread into the toaster, then took a pitcher of ice water from the fridge and poured it into a glass. Quietly, Eren crept over to his mother’s bedside and set the water down on the table beside her, reaching out with his free hand to sweetly stroke her head. “Mom…?” he asked. “Mom, it’s time to get up.”

She was still.

“...Mom?”

Carla didn’t move an inch. Eren’s breath hitched, and he gently shook her shoulder.

The woman woke with start, bleary-eyed, her mouth gummed up from sleep. “Oh, sorry, sorry, I’m up. I jus’ dozed off for a minute, that’s all...’S it time to take my pills?”

Eren released a long sigh of relief and nodded. “Yeah, but you should wake up first. I have some toast getting ready for you in the kitchen. Can you drink water right now, or do you want to wait?”

“I’ll have some now, thank you.” Carla smiled a little bit, then covered her mouth as she yawned. Eren handed her the glass and she carefully sipped from it, Eren still holding the bottom to make sure she didn’t spill it.

“Need to go to the bathroom or anything?” he asked.

Carla gently pushed the drink away and shook her head. A bit of color came to her cheeks from the coldness of the water. “No, your father helped me out before he went to work this morning,” she replied, yawning again. The toaster gave a muffled _ding_ from the kitchen.

After feeding his mother the toast and giving her the pills, Eren went back to rummaging. “Hey, Mom? Do you happen to know if we have any tea?” he called out, face-deep in a cabinet of old spices and cans of soup.

“Tea?” she asked, curious. “Why do you need tea?”

“Uh-” Eren reached into the cabinet, hopeful, but pulled out a near-empty box of toothpicks rather than a box of tea bags. “I sorta have a date planned with Levi tomorrow. I wanna have a picnic, and I know he likes green tea, so…”

Carla smiled and rested a hand over her heart. “Awwh, you want to make your boyfriend his favorite tea. I _knew_ I raised you right, you’re such a gentleman!” she said excitedly,although her voice cracked in a few spots.

Eren groaned. “Ugh, no tea. And I was supposed to make it into a latte, too,” he grumbled. The one thing he promised Levi, and he couldn’t even pull through. There was no way he’d ask Mikasa for money. Not Armin, either.

Carla’s happy look fell slightly, but she brightened up again. “I’ll tell you what. Come here, Eren.” She turned as much as her body would allow and reached under the mattress, hissing a little as the ache in her side flared up. Eren came out of the kitchen, alerted at the sound.

“Hey, what are you doing? Don’t hurt yourself, please! Whatever you’re trying-” He paused. Carla had a wad of money in her hand. _Does everyone here have a money stash besides me? What the Hell?_ He thought. “Why...Do you have that?” Eren asked slowly.

She only smiled and gently took hold of Eren’s wrist, then set the money in his hand. “Don’t you worry about that, honey. The point is that I want you to have fun. Go to the store, okay? We don’t have very much to eat here, so you should get some groceries. And make sure to pick up a few extra things for yourself and Levi.”

Eren was confused. He wanted to ask how the hell she got that money, why it wasn’t being used to pay for her hospital bills, why it was hidden under her bed, but instead nodded and shoved the money into his back pocket. “Okay.”

\--------------------------------------------------

After returning home from the grocery store, Eren set out one box of green tea bags, a gallon of milk, and a box of Easy Espresso. He already knew the basics of latte making; Armin had made lattes for them at a sleepover once. One cup of microwaved milk, whisk the foam, add the Easy Espresso, and boom. Done. “Guess after that I should put the tea bag in,” he muttered aloud to himself.

“What did you get for your little picnic?” Carla asked curiously, eyeing the rest of the grocery bags on the kitchen counter.

Eren glanced back at the bags. “Oh, right.” He pulled out a loaf of bread, eggs, and some wrapped up lunch meat, along with a box of Mikasa’s favorite cereal, and a box of cookies he knew his mother always liked. After putting them away, Eren even got out a few cans of Cream of Mushroom soup, which was his father’s favorite meal.  “I’m gonna make sandwiches for me and Levi, but the rest of this stuff is you and Mikasa and dad. I even have some of the money you gave me leftover,” Eren said. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the money, but Carla shook her head.

“No no,” she reassured, “I want you to keep the rest of that. Use it for yourself and Levi when you go on your date, okay?”

Eren was hesitant, furrowing his brow and gripping the money hard. There was a lot left. “...Are you sure?”

Carla smiled. “Come on, how often do we get money like that? I want you to have it, Eren. It’ll be just fine.” Eren bit his lip, but didn’t argue. He replaced the money in his pocket and set to work as Carla watched him from her bed. Eren had an uneasy feeling about the money, and wanted to forget about it as soon as possible.

An hour passed. Eren, with unsteady hands, was measuring everything as meticulously as possible. The last few batches of carefully made bullshit had tasted awful, and he couldn’t understand why. A few cups full of his concoctions sat on the kitchen table, far from the rest of his work. Tea bags were strewn about and a few were torn open along side some Easy Espresso pods. Eren ran a frustrated hand through his hair and dipped a tea bag into the cup of milk in front of him. Had he already tried merely dipping the pod by itself as well? He couldn’t remember. He was gonna have to try it. A sudden knock on the front door made Eren jump and drop the tea bag in the cup.  “Come in,” Carla called out weakly.

“Come in!” Eren repeated, pulling the tea bag out. Quietly, Armin stepped in and closed the door behind him.

“Good morning, Mrs. Jaeger. Hey, Eren. What’re you up to?”

Carla smiled and reached out for Armin. “Eren’s making a green tea latte for his boyfriend,” she said. Armin stepped over and gingerly took her hand, and Eren popped his head out of the kitchen.

“Levi’s not my _boyfriend_ , per se,” Eren corrected, a little pink in the cheeks. “And what are you doing here, anyway? School’s not over yet.”

Armin glanced at Eren, but was still conscious of Carla’s presence. “Oh, well, I felt a little sick at school, so they let me go home. I thought I’d come over and see how you guys were doing.”

“They just _let_ you go?” Eren asked incredulously.

“Yeah,” Armin replied, looking over at Eren again. He smiled. “Having the best grades in the entire junior class pays off sometimes. Which is why you should study more often.”

Carla snorted a little as Eren stuck his tongue out at him, then squeezed Armin’s hand. “I hope you feel better, honey. Eren’s having trouble making the latte, though. Do you think you could help him before you go back home? And make sure you tell George that I said hello,” she said, smiling at Armin.

He nodded and smiled back. “Of course I will. Grandpa loves hearing from you,” he replied, gently releasing her hand before he turned and stepped into the kitchen.”Er… What are you doing?”

Eren’s hand moved up and down slowly, repeatedly dipping the Easy Espresso pod in the cup he’d been dipping the green tea in before. “What’s it look like I’m doing? I’m making a latte. Here, wanna be the taste tester?” Eren set the soggy pod on the table and held the cup out for Armin.

“Heck no, I’m not going anywhere near that.” Armin scrunched up his face and took a step back. Eren frowned. He pulled the cup back toward himself, maintained eye contact with the blond, and took a sip. Immediately, he gagged and spit it all out in the sink, then dumped the rest as he wiped his mouth off.

“Fuck, that was the worst one so far,” he muttered.

Armin snickered, but in a cute, Armin-like way. “That’s what you get for not using an actual espresso machine. C’mon, let’s go to my place. I think I have all the stuff you need.”

Eren groaned at the realization that all his hard work had been for nothing.

“Come ooon. I’ve already got my homework done, so when we’re finished, I can catch you up on everything that’s been happening at school,” he urged. Eren groaned again at the thought of schoolwork. Armin rolled his eyes and took Eren’s arm, practically dragging him out of the kitchen. “We’ll be back over later, Mrs. Jaeger! I’ll make sure Eren is back in time to give you your pills!” he assured, opening the front door.

Carla waved to them. “Alright, you boys have fun. I’ll just take a little nap until you get back.”

\-----------------------------

In Armin’s kitchen, Eren closely watched the other as he explained and demonstrated how to make the latte properly. “You got things mostly right,” Armin began, “But you don’t need _actual_ green tea. You need green tea matcha powder, like this.” Reaching up with one hand, Armin opened a cabinet and pulled out a small container, then opened it and held it out for Eren to see. “This stuff is sorta messy, so you have to be careful not to spill it or smudge it on your clothes,” he warned. Armin carefully set the container down behind most of the things he had laying out and dipped a spoon into the powder. “Now you have to take two tablespoons and put it in about eight ounces of cold milk.” He seemed a little off. More cheery than usual. It was his subtle way of showing that he was upset.

“What’s the real reason you came home from school?” Eren suddenly asked.

The blond paused.

“Armin, I’ve known you my whole life. I can tell when something’s wrong. Who fucked with you, and what did they do?”

Sighing, Armin set the cup down and  turned to face Eren. “Hitch threw my bookbag in the pool,” he breathed. “And when I tried to get my stuff out, she and her friends tried to push me in, but coach Shadis stopped them before they could do it.”

Eren stood, stepped close to Armin, and hugged him hard. “Hitch is a goddamn fuckface. I’ll make sure she regrets even attempting to lay a finger on you. She-”

“Eren, don’t. It’s not a big deal,” Armin murmured, shyly squeezing Eren and resting his chin on Eren’s shoulder.

Eren furrowed his brows and squeezed Armin harder. “It _is_ a big deal. If she had pushed you in, you would’ve _died_. I oughta shove her face in a toilet for a few minutes.” He clenched his jaw, anger steadily bubbling up inside him.

Armin was quiet for a second, gently rubbing Eren’s back, trying to keep him calm. “She probably didn’t know that I can’t swim.”

“And what if she _did_ know, huh? That’s attempted murder, right there. She needs to fucking go to jail.”

“Eren, not so loud. I don’t want my grandpa to hear,” he whispered softly. “Can we please go back to making Levi’s latte? I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

There was silence for a few long seconds.

Eren was seething.

His fists clenched in Armin’s shirt and he let out a nearly feral growl. “I’ll _kill_ her,” he sneered through his teeth.

Armin frowned, but reached back and took Eren’s hand in his own. He gingerly held the tight fist in his small hand, gently rubbing at the back of Eren’s palm with his thumb. With his free hand, Armin reached up and sweetly stroked Eren’s hair. “It’s okay, Eren. Just calm down. You’ll be okay,” he cooed. Eren pulled away a little and frowned down at Armin. The blond pursed his lips, brainstorming what else he could possibly say to make Eren feel better. He sighed, pulled Eren back into his tight embrace, and rubbed his back again. Another long moment passed by. “... Don’t drop that durka durk,” Armin muttered quietly. He could feel Eren stiffen a bit in his arms.

“...Eyy.”

 ********  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gahhh writer's block is such shiiit also yes i stole the thing hitch did from Ouran High School Host Club also dON'T DROP THAT DURKA DURK EEEYYY DON'T DROP THAT DURKA DURRRKKK


	10. Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin and Mikasa help Eren prepare for his date, then it's off to the cemetery to meet Levi.

Later on, Mikasa got home from school. It didn’t take long for her to come knocking at Armin’s front door. Armin’s grandfather opened the door with a smile, letting out the music and singing coming from the kitchen. “The boys are in there making food,” he grinned, “Why don’t you go join them, Miss Jaeger?”

Mikasa smiled faintly at the old man’s never ending politeness toward her. Even for a man who’d been in the military for fifteen years, he was very sweet. “Thank you, Mr. Arlert,” she murmured, brushing past him and to the kitchen.

“Don’t drop that durka durk!” Armin sang, swinging his hips to the beat that came from his laptop on the counter while he pulled a loaf of bread from the pantry.

“Eeeyyy!” Eren replied, gathering some sweets from Armin’s Candy Cabinet.

Then, looking at each other with big grins, the boys sang in unison, “Don’t drop that durka duuurk!”

“Hey, guys,” Mikasa muttered. Armin froze in place and Eren kept jamming out.

“Hey, Mikasa. Wanna help make sandwiches?” Eren asked, ‘Don’t drop that durka durk’ing  under his breath right after.

Armin swallowed hard and quickly combed his fingers through his hair, straightening his posture and brushing off his shirt before he turned to face her with a sweet smile. “Yeah, we’d love to have your help!”

Mikasa nodded and stepped close to the counter, gently taking the bread from Armin and taking out four slices. She set them in the toaster and put it on the lowest setting. “Mom told me you got lunch meat but forgot to bring it over, so I wasn’t sure if you needed it or not,” she said, glancing over at Eren.

“Shit, it completely slipped my mind. Hold on, guys. I’ll be right back!” Eren called, snapping his fingers at the realization and darting out of the kitchen. Armin went to his computer and turned the music off.

“So, how was school?” he asked, smiling politely at Mikasa.

She shrugged. “Gym was pretty boring without Eren there. Jean was pretty much up my ass the whole time. Then Algebra and Chemistry were a drag because you weren’t there. I heard Hitch and her minions started some shit with you today.”

Armin bit his lip and hurriedly re-tied the twisty thing back on the loaf of bread, trying to mask his discomfort.

“Hey, I know you’re not much of a fighter, but...I mean, if you want, I can teach you some moves you can use to defend yourself. Me and Eren both wish we can always be there to keep you safe, but there isn’t really much we can do.”

The blond sighed, then nodded once. “I guess it would be better if I wasn’t such a weakling,” he muttered, shame and a sudden sadness laced in his tone.

“You’re not a weakling,” Mikasa protested, a frown on her face.

“Mikasa, please don’t say that. I’m not stupid.”

She rested her hand on Armin’s shoulder and turned him to face her. Cupping Armin’s cheeks, Mikasa leaned close. “That’s right. You’re _not_ stupid. And you’re not weak. You just aren’t as strong as you can be. Let me help you, please.”

Armin blinked and red started staining his cheeks. Suddenly breathless, he almost leaned in. Almost. “Armin?” Mikasa asked, catching his gaze and holding him hostage with it.

“I- I’m fine. it’s fine. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to defend myself. For when I really need it, I mean,” he stammered.

Suddenly, the front door slammed shut. “Should we make ham sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, or ham and turkey sandwiches?!” Eren called out. Mikasa and Armin stepped away from each other.

“Ham and turkey together,” Mikasa said.

Eren stepped into the kitchen and tossed the wrapped up packs of lunch meat on the counter. “Good, that’s what I was thinking. And I’ll just bring a can of pop to drink for myself. Should I bring more candy?”

Armin giggled. “You’ll give him cavities with the amount of candy you _have_ ,” he said.

The heated bread popped up in the toaster, and Mikasa took all four pieces out. “Armin, can you grab a plate for me? It’ll be easier to set everything on a plate when we make the sandwiches.” Armin nodded and reached up to a high cabinet to retrieve what Mikasa wanted.

“Do you think he’d want cheese? I want lots of cheese on mine,” Eren said. He opened Armin’s fridge and scanned the shelves. “I also wanna be the one to make the sandwiches. You guys can take a break, if you want.”

The blond shook his head. “No way,” he said.

“We want to make sure everything is perfect just as much as you do,” Mikasa added.

Eren grinned. “You guys are the best.”

\-------------------------------

Eren was excited beyond all comprehension. It was Eleven O’Clock on Friday night, he had a basket full of goodies, a big blanket, a lidded cup with Levi’s latte in it, and Mikasa and Armin were sending him off. “You need to put on another jacket. It’s gonna be cold,” Mikasa murmured, carefully applying eyeliner to Eren’s lids, a last-minute request by him. Armin was folding the blanket up and trying to make it fit in the basket that sat next to Eren on his bed. “Are you sure you don’t want me and Armin to walk you to the cemetery?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be fine. I don’t need any chaperones,” Eren replied.

“Would you like some mace?”

“Mikasa!”

The girl shrugged and capped her eyeliner. “I’m just saying. It’s not safe for you to be walking around at night by yourself. You should’ve asked Levi to come pick you up.” Before Eren could protest, Mikasa tossed a jacket at him and turned to help Armin get the blanket in the basket. Eren huffed and slipped the jacket on over the other one.

“Can I go, now? I don’t wanna be late,” he grumped.

Armin finally got the blanket in with Mikasa’s help and nodded over at him. “Yeah, we don’t want to keep you waiting here. Go have fun, okay? But don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with. If he respects you, he won’t try anything funny, either.”

“And if he does,” Mikasa added, “Or any other creep, for that matter, take his fingers and yank them backwards. I guarantee you they’ll break and any fucker who tries to touch you will leave you alone.”

Eren rolled his eyes, but knew that his friends were just trying to look out for him.

As soon as he was out the door with his basket, Eren dashed down the cracked sidewalk toward the old town cemetery. There were only a few streetlamps that worked, far between each other, but the liquor stores and strip clubs’ lights illuminated Eren’s way. He ran until he was panting hard and had an ache in his side, and had passed all the shady homes and businesses. There was just a paved road, now. No sidewalk. The street forked a few yards in front of Eren. To the left, the road led to the city next to Eren’s little town. To the right was the road that led to more rich people houses and the cemetery. Taking a deep breath, Eren ran again, to the right.

There were no more streetlamps to guide Eren’s way. It was dark and quiet, apart from the stars above him and his heavy breathing. A few of the big houses across the street from the cemetery had their porch lights on, casting shadows among the many gravestones on the first hill. There were three in total, and a few winding pathways and benches in between. Would Levi know where to go once he got there? Eren slowly approached the wrought-iron gateway to the graveyard and slipped through it, not wanting to bring attention to himself by opening it and making it creak. He looked around, up at each hill, and started on one of the small paths toward the second mound of headstones. It was the tallest of the three, so Eren could see Levi when he came and help him get there, and it was far enough away from the houses that no one would notice them there.

 _I wonder if it’s midnight yet,_ Eren thought, _I completely forgot to check the clock before I left. Could Levi be here already?_ He bit his lip, not wanting to know what consequences would await him if he was late. The embarrassment would be enough. _No, no, don’t think about that. Just focus on getting everything set up. I gotta put the blanket down, set the food out, and wait. Will Levi like that I’m wearing eyeliner again? Would he let me kiss him this time? What could we talk about? God, I hope he likes the food...I wonder what it’s like to kiss someone with a lip ring._

As Eren pondered, he reached the top of the hill and set the basket down. Pulling out the blanket was easier than he thought it’d be, but he wasn’t sure where to put it. Right where he stood? The graves looked far enough apart. With a little sigh, Eren unfolded the blanket and spread it out over the grass. He took Levi’s latte out and carefully set it on the blanket, keeping his hand close to the cup for a moment to make sure it didn’t spill. Then he took out the sandwiches, each in their own little ziplock bag, and set the basket full of candy in the middle of the blanket. Eren reached for his pop, but stopped. He had the sudden feeling that he was being watched. Standing upright, Eren turned around and looked behind him, toward the lining of trees that surrounded the backside of the cemetery. His eyes scanned the treeline for a moment, searching for any sign of life, but found none. Squinting his eyes in suspicion, Eren turned around again and yelped in shock.

“Boo,” Levi greeted. He was dressed in all black, as usual, and held a black helmet under his arm.

“Don’t fucking _do_ that,” Eren replied, clutching his chest. “Jesus, where did you _come_ from?”

Levi rolled his eyes. “Your asshole, obviously. Is this the picnic you were talking about?” **  
**

Eren glanced back at the blanket and blinked. “Oh! Yeah, yeah, this is it. I made you a ham and turkey sandwich, if that’s cool with you. I mean, I also brought candy, so you can have that instead if you don’t like the sandwich. And I made your latte, too.”

“What? You seriously did it?” Levi asked, looking down at the blanket. His eyes fell on the lidded cup. “I thought you were kidding about that.”

Eren smiled bashfully. “Nope, not kidding. Will you try it?” he asked.

Levi’s lip twitched upward. “Of course I’m gonna try it. I don’t want to be a dick if you took the time to make something for me,” he said, stepping over to the blanket and tossing his helmet onto it. He sat down, and Eren sank down with him. Levi picked up the cup, took off the lid, and gave it an experimental sniff. After a short pause, he took a little sip. “Hm. Not bad.”

“Really?!” Eren beamed.

Levi gave a single nod.

Excitedly, Eren grabbed the ziplock bag with Levi’s sandwich in it and held it out to him. “Here, I want you to try this one, too!” Sighing softly, Levi set the cup down between his legs and took the sandwich from Eren.

“Don’t shit yourself,” Levi replied, pulling half of the sandwich out of the bag. He took a small bite, chewed with an apathetic look on his face, and swallowed before speaking again. “It’s good. No need to monitor my every move, now.” Suddenly aware that he had been staring, Eren looked away and picked up his own sandwich.

 _Holy fuck, he must think I’m an idiot_ , Eren thought, nearly biting into the plastic. Levi snorted as Eren huffed and yanked the bag open, but that only embarrassed Eren further. “Why’d you bring a helmet?” he asked, eager to distract both Levi and himself.

Levi took another bite, chewed, swallowed, and replied, “I rode my motorcycle here. Didn’t wanna risk my two hundred dollar helmet getting stolen.”

Eren furrowed his eyebrows. “Must be a real quiet motorcycle,” he said, taking the first big bite of his own sandwich.

“No, you just weren’t paying any attention.” Levi took another sip of his latte. “That’s how I was able to sneak up on you so easily.”

Shrugging, Eren retrieved his pop from the basket and snapped it open. “I guess I had a lot on my mind. Well, not really a lot. I was just thinking about you, mostly,” he confessed.

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What about me?”

Eren quickly bit into his sandwich again. _Fuck, should I just say the truth?_ He swallowed. “I, uh...I was just thinkin’ about what it’d be like to kiss you.”

“Hm. I had a feeling you’d say that.”

Eren’s eyes widened a little bit. _He was expecting me to think about it? Does that mean he was thinking about it, too?_ He looked over at Levi, green eyes meeting grey ones, and they stayed there. Eren looked at Levi for a long time, it seemed, and Levi looked back. He saw Levi’s eyes glance down just a tiny bit, presumably to his lips, and butterflies exploded in Eren’s stomach. That was when he noticed Levi leaning in. Levi was actually _leaning in_. Eren’s sandwich dropped from his hands and he started leaning, too, scrambling to remember how it was supposed to go.

But then Levi’s lips pressed against his, and every coherent thought went down the drain. Heat sparked on his lips and spread heavily to Eren’s cheeks, and he found himself pressing deeper. Levi’s lips seemed to mold against his perfectly, and although the lip ring was cold, it was just as perfect. The kiss was too gentle, too fleeting for Eren, and Levi pulled away all too soon. “There,” he breathed, “Now you know what it’s like to kiss me.”

Eren was speechless for just a moment, but soon found his voice. “I...I didn’t really kiss you that much, so I don’t _really_ know,” he protested softly. Levi’s throaty chuckle in response made him shiver.

“If you want my tongue down your throat, just say so.”

“I want your tongue down my throat.”

Levi snorted and shrugged. “Fine, you asked for it.” He pressed his hand against Eren’s cheek and leaned in again.

Eren barely managed to say “Yeah, I did,” before Levi’s lips were against his again, pressing and molding, slowly coaxing his mouth open. Then Levi’s tongue was in his mouth. Eren squeaked a little as the hot, wet muscle swirled around his own, taking complete control of his mouth, making Eren’s brain explode and his heart pound. The way Levi’s tongue flicked against his made Eren forget how to breathe. He feebly attempted to mimic what Levi was doing, but was no match for the skill Levi had. Levi moved his hand back and gripped Eren’s hair tightly, inducing a quiet moan out of him. Eren hardly noticed it. He just wanted more. More of Levi’s tongue, more of his touches, more of _him_. But, again, Levi broke the kiss too soon for Eren’s liking. Levi let go of Eren’s hair and resumed his regular sitting position, picking up his cup and taking a long swig from it. Eren inhaled deeply, only just then realizing that he was completely breathless from the kiss.

“Holy fucking shit,” he whispered, glancing away in embarrassment. Eren pressed his hand to his chest as his rapid heartbeat gradually began to slow. “Holy fucking _shit_ ,” he repeated, looking at Levi again. Looking at his lips, mostly. Those were skilled lips. Very skilled. And behind them was a very skilled tongue. Eren felt goosebumps on his arms beneath the jackets he wore.

Levi set his drink between his legs again and took another bite from his sandwich. Carefully, he spoke around his food. “Calm the fuck down, it’s just a French kiss. I’m not even sucking your dick yet.”

Eren’s eyes widened a little again. “Is that on the table?”

Swallowing his food, Levi narrowed his eyes at Eren. “No, it is not,” he replied sternly.

Eren held his hands up in surrender and nodded. “Okay, okay, I was just making sure.” He took a deep breath. “You’re an incredible kisser.”

Levi’s expression softened a little. “Thanks. You too,” he said.

Eren’s jaw nearly dropped to the ground and the butterflies exploded in his tummy again. _He thinks I’m a good kisser! Ah! Thank you, Armin, thank you Armin, thank you Armin!_ Eren refrained from shouting as best he could. “...You really think so?”

“Mhm,” Levi replied, unwilling to speak around his food again.

Eren was quiet again, thinking about it, replaying it all in his head. “You seemed sorta eager,” he muttered, the fluttery feeling heightening a little at the thought of it.

Levi shrugged again. “I’m neither going to confirm nor deny that statement.”  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is just the beginning of their date~ thanks for waiting for this update. Please leave some comments and tell me what you think!


	11. Date: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi's date continues, then concludes.

After the two of them finished their sandwiches, Eren laid back on the blanket. He looked up at the stars and sighed softly. “I’ve never had a picnic at night,” he murmured, yawning. Eren rubbed his eyes tiredly, but then quickly pulled his hands away. “Fuck, I totally forgot I was wearing makeup.” He groaned, looking at the black smudges on the sides of his hands.

“I noticed that,” Levi said, looking down at Eren. “You don’t have to wear that shit to impress me.”

Eren looked up at Levi and huffed. “Do I look stupid with it on?” he asked. Levi rolled his eyes.

“No. But you look like a raccoon right now. Sit up so I can get that shit off.” Shifting his weight, Levi reached underneath him and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, then took a makeup wipe out. Eren pouted a little and sat up, then turned to face Levi obediently. He watched Levi tear open the little package and raise the wipe to his face. “Look up,” Levi ordered. Eren raised his gaze to the sky again, and the wet fabric pressed gently just below his left eye.

Levi sighed softly as he carefully patted away the smeared eyeliner. _This fucking kid,_ he thought, _He’s like a damn lovestruck puppy. Guess I should give him points for trying, though. It’s sorta cute._

As the wipe moved to Eren’s right eye, Eren blinked.

“Keep your eyes open, damn it,” Levi snapped.

“Sorry,” Eren mumbled back. Slowly, still keeping his eyes open as wide as he could, Eren’s gaze slid down from the stars and settled on Levi’s face. The intense look in Levi’s eyes gave Eren goosebumps again. “Thanks for doing this,” he whispered. He didn’t want to be too distracting. Levi only hummed in acknowledgement. Eren kept looking at him, at his eyes and his forehead and his eyebrows and his nose. And Levi’s lips, too. “I wanna kiss you again,” he murmured unthinkingly.

“No,” Levi whispered back. “Close your left eye.”

Eren did as he was told and stared at Levi’s lip ring. “Please?”

Carefully, Levi began patting at Eren’s eyelid. “No.”

Eren whined grumpily and pouted. “Can I hold your hand, then?” he asked hopefully.

Levi sighed and met Eren’s gaze. “You can open your eye, but close the right one. You can hold my hand after I’m finished,” he decided.

Eren smiled widely and closed his right eye, opening the left. Levi patted his eyelid clean wordlessly and put the wipe back in its package. “Can I use a wipe? For my hand, I mean,” Eren asked, opening both eyes.

Levi blinked. _Did he seriously just…? Damn. That was...Sorta sweet._ He didn’t hesitate to hand Eren a little package. “Well, you’re considerate. I’ll give you that,” he said.

Eren took it happily and wiped off both his hands, then tossed the wipe and its package into the basket. “It’s my pleasure.”

Easily, Eren slid his fingers between Levi’s and held his hand tightly. He smiled over at Levi and scooted close beside him. “What’s your favorite thing?” Eren asked softly.

Levi didn’t answer right away. He took a moment to adjust to Eren’s sudden closeness, a little bit thankful that he didn’t have to break that barrier himself. Levi gave the question some serious, careful thought. “Music,” he replied. “It’s really unoriginal, I know. But I like singing songs that describe how I feel. It’s an amazingly effective way to vent, actually.”

Eren hummed in acknowledgment and looked up at the stars again. “What’s your least favorite thing?”

“It’s a tie between dirt and scumbags. Like, rapists and pedophiles and racists and homophobes,” Levi replied. “Nastier than shit.”

“How did you start your band?” Eren asked.

“You ask a fuckload of questions, don’t you?”

He shrugged and shyly squeezed Levi’s hand, looking back down at him again. “I’m just curious about you, that’s all. You’re a very interesting person, I think.”

Levi looked away. _Might as well just tell him._ “Me and Petra and Hanji were all juniors. Auruo was a sophomore, and Erd and Gunther were seniors. Petra and Hanji and me were in choir, but Hanji was also in band with the other three. She’s the one who got us together to play our first gig at the school talent show. Back then we called ourselves GLEAPH. Y’know, Gunther, Levi, Erd, Auruo, Petra, Hanji. She insisted we add her initial to the end even though she never played on stage with us.”

Eren nodded in understanding and said “I wish I could be in a band. Heh. Or even carry a tune.”

Levi furrowed his brow, confused by why he was talking so easily to Eren. He’d never just opened up with someone before. And why was his heart going all fluttery? Was it because he was holding hands with someone after avoiding peoples' touches for so long? He had to get the focus off him. “What’s _your_ favorite thing?”

Eren grinned at Levi. “Puppies and beef jerky and your voice,” he immediately replied. “I really, _really_ like hearing you sing.”

Levi snorted. “Yeah, I figured that out a while ago,” he said. “Tell me what your family is like,” Levi said. “Do your parents just let you go places this late at night, or do you have to sneak out?”

“Sneak out, of course,” Eren replied. “But my mom knew I had a date, so I'm safe this time. My dad is a doctor. A general practitioner, technically. He has his own little office in town, but he goes on a lot of house calls. Most of the money he makes has to go for my mom’s medical bills, though. She has cancer.” The boy brought his knees up and rested his chin on them, staring blankly at a headstone in front of them as he continued. “She got sick when I was just a little kid. She had to go to the hospital a few times for pain over the years, but nobody figured out it was cancer until it was in the fourth stage. That was a year ago. After that, she stayed in the hospital for a long time, but now she’s home and stays in bed all day. We actually have a literal medical bed in our living room.”

Levi looked down, unable to imagine how he’d feel if his mom ever got sick like that. “Why is she home if she still needs a hospital bed? ”

Eren shrugged a little. “She says the stiff mattress makes her back feel better. And the bars on either side keep her from falling out of bed at night. She was in the hospital for a while, though. Me and Mikasa would always come visit her after school. Eventually, we couldn’t afford to keep her in the hospital anymore. It just cost us too much. But she says she wanted to be home because she didn’t want us to have to walk all the way into the city just to see her. Everybody pretty much agreed that it would be okay to let her come home because they don’t think she has that much time left.”

Levi nodded, quietly sympathizing with Eren. “I know you probably don’t want pity from anyone,” he started, unsure of what to say, exactly. “It sucks ass that you have to go through such bullshit like that, though. You handle it alright, though. Better than I would. Hell, I’d shit my pants if I had to deal with something like that.”

Eren smiled a little bit. “Thanks,” he whispered softly, casting a glance at Levi. “I am a little scared, though. My mom is… She’s my whole world. I can’t ever imagine living my life...Coming home from school or somewhere one day and my mom just...Being gone. Never seeing her smile again or hearing her laugh or having her butt into my business because she cares so much. I mean, yeah, she’s sick and weak, but she still makes our house seem so _bright_ , you know?”

Levi nodded wordlessly.

“She’s sweet and generous and selfless and understanding,” Eren continued, his voice quivering just a bit. “She never did anything to deserve what she got. She’s an amazing mom. She’d never hurt a fly. She…” He blinked, and a few tears dripped from his eyes. Eren sniffled. “Sorry,” he croaked, “I- I just don’t want her to leave me.”

Not knowing what else he could do, Levi squeezed Eren’s hand and, very slowly, rested his head on Eren’s shoulder. “It’s gonna be okay,” he whispered, although he had no clue whether it really would be or not. Levi didn’t want Eren to cry, but he didn’t have any idea how to comfort him.

Eren’s lower lip quivered with the effort of holding back his tears. He let go of Levi’s hand and just wrapped his arms around him without taking time to think about it, burying his face in Levi’s neck as he choked out a sob. Levi almost jerked away in surprise. “S- o- orry,” Eren blubbed, sniffling again. Levi tensed.

 _Mucus. Germs. On my shoulder. Close to my face. Against my skin. In my bloodstream._ Swiftly, but as gently as he could manage, Levi took hold of Eren’s upper arms and pushed him away. He grabbed his wallet again and pulled out a tissue. Half the makeup wipes and alcohol wipes and other tissues he had fell out in his haste. “Here, Jesus Christ, please use this,” he urged. “Let’s go do something fun so you don’t have to think about it, alright? We can go to a nightclub or something to make you feel better.”

Eren blew his nose in the tissue and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. Levi grimaced at the sound. “I’m sorry,” Eren repeated softly.

Levi’s expression smoothed out. “Don’t be. You’re going through some tough shit. Nobody can blame you for crying about it once in a while.”

Looking up at Levi, blinking away more tears, Eren smiled. Levi managed to mirror the expression.

“So, what nightclub were you talking about? Would I need my I.D. to get in?” Eren asked.

Levi shook his head and started picking up the fallen wipes and tissues. “No, I can get you in wherever we want without getting you carded. Nightclubs are fun, nothing like Legion. Lotsa flashing lights and pop music and free drinks for first-timers in some places. There are some with karaoke, too. D’you think you’d like that?”

Eren smiled wider and nodded. It was hard for him to not watch Levi put his wallet back into his back pocket. “H- How far a walk is it?” he asked.

“We’re not gonna walk,” Levi replied. Eren quickly looked up at him again with a questioning expression, and Levi picked up his helmet and gestured with it. “Do you expect me to leave my bike here? Or make you walk to a place you’ve never been to in the middle of the night?”

“I walked here in the middle of the night, and I’ve never been to a cemetery before,” Eren pointed out.

Levi rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a smartass, that was your own idea. And cemeteries rock, how the Hell have you never been to one?”

Eren shrugged. “Nobody I’ve known has died. And I’ve never really seen any fun in being in a place full of dead people. Except for this, I mean. I’m...Having a really nice time with you,” he muttered.

The corners of Levi’s mouth twitched. “I’m not having a bad time, either. Let’s get outta here. You can forget about the bullshit hand you’ve been dealt in life.” Levi stood up, grunting softly. With his helmet in one hand and the empty cup in the other, he looked out over the hills of gravestones and sighed. “I can’t remember...Which club has the Purell hand sanitizer in the bathroom…? No, maybe I’m thinking of the one with the Germ-X,” he mused under his breath. “Hm.”

Eren stood and gathered up the trash and the blanket and stuffed it all into the basket again. He gently took the cup from Levi’s hand and felt a little flutter in his chest when their fingers brushed against each other. “What’s the name of the club we’re going to?” he asked, mostly to make conversation. He didn’t really care where they were going, just as long as he got to be with Levi. “And can I hold your hand again?” he added suddenly.

Levi was quiet. He looked like he was trying to figure something out. “We’ll go to Club Thorn,” he decided.

“Can I hold your hand again?” Eren repeated. Levi sighed and held his hand out, and Eren was pleased that he’d accept it so quickly. He happily grasped Levi’s hand and took up the basket in the other. “Let’s go!” he chirped.

Levi hummed a little in response and quietly lead Eren along the path down the hill, keeping his eyes forward. Eren could almost swear he saw a little flush in Levi’s cheeks.

Once they made it to the front gate, Eren looked ahead and saw a motorcycle parked on the side of the road. He smiled at its black color and the shiny silver skull at the center of the handlebars. It looked brand new; like Levi had just bought it that day. Of course it looked like that. Eren doubted that Levi would let any possession of his get damaged or dirty in any way. “I don’t have two, so I’ll let you wear this. When’s the last time you washed your hair?”

Eren looked over and saw that Levi was holding up his helmet again. “Oh! Uh, I showered this morning, actually. I shampooed my hair twice and used conditioner, too. And I even washed behind my ears,” he said. He squeezed Levi’s hand proudly.

Levi snorted and smirked. “You act like that level of cleanliness is a crowning achievement. I’m glad you’re putting in the effort, at least. Keep it up.” He gently let go of Eren’s hand and held his own out for the basket. “Trade me.”

Eren beamed and gave Levi the basket as he took the helmet. Levi hopped on the bike, sat the basket in front of him, and Eren nestled close behind him on the seat. When he put it on, the helmet felt snug around Eren’s head. It smelled good too, but he thought better than to mention that. He saw Levi look back at him through the tinted glass in the front of the helmet.

“Wrap your arms around me,” Levi said. Eren’s heart fluttered. “So you don’t fall off and die. I don’t need involuntary manslaughter on my record.”

 _Right. Safety. Safety always comes first._ He happily wound his arms around Levi’s waist and leaned on him just a little bit, not wanting to invade Levi’s personal space too much. But this was enough for Eren. Just being able to touch him. Levi started up the motorcycle and the engine let out a feral growl. They sped off down the dark road with the headlight illuminating their way. Levi was already going fast, but after glancing back at Eren again, he suddenly sped up. Eren yelped and tightened his hold on him, and Levi looked forward again with a smirk. ****

The two of them rode around forever, it seemed. First in the darkness, with a few streetlamps here and there. Then they were passing bars and strip clubs and liquor stores and abandoned warehouses. Eren loved it. He never wanted to stop. The quiver of the seat and the warmth of Levi’s back and the wind that bit at every part of his exposed skin was comforting and relaxing, and if they rode just long enough, Eren was sure he’d be able to slip into a nice, sound sleep.

But again, too soon, they stopped. Eren snapped out of his dreamy thoughts and looked around. They were in a parking lot, one that was unfamiliar to him, next to a building with bright lights and a _thump thump thump_ of some musical beat muffled through the brick wall. He pulled the helmet off and shook his hair out. “Where are we?”

“Club Thorn, doofus. C’mon, we’re going in through the back door,” Levi said, stepping off the bike. He wordlessly took the helmet from Eren and hung it on the handlebar.

“Are we in the city?” Eren’s ass felt numb. He slid off the seat of the bike and staggered a little. Levi quickly took Eren’s hand and grabbed his upper arm, keeping Eren upright as best he could. “Sorry, never been on a motorcycle before,” Eren admitted, tensing his legs and wiggling his toes to try and get the tingliness to go away.

Levi rolled his eyes and quietly pulled Eren close to him, but only because he wanted to help Eren stand. Really. “It’s fine,” Levi breathed. “Yes, we’re in Sina. Most of the crime here is done by the fucken' cops, so I doubt any of them would waste their time on a helmet or a picnic basket. Our shit is safe.” ****

Eren nodded and happily draped his arm over Levi’s shoulder for more support, although his legs had regained most of their feeling. He liked having an excuse to touch Levi like that. “Can I kiss you again...?” Eren asked, his voice soft and a little shy.

Levi rolled his eyes once more and leaned up. “You’re so needy,” he complained, pressing his lips to Eren’s. Eren couldn’t help but smile.

“But you still kissed me anyways,” he reminded.

“I never said I didn’t like kissing you.” After a short pause, Levi leaned up and gently kissed Eren again. “It's fucking freezing out here. C'mon,” he grumbled, pulling away from Eren and walking toward the building. Eren quickly followed behind him and took Levi’s hand again, almost fearless, now. He couldn’t stop grinning.

As they rounded toward the back of the building, they came upon an open door and a man dressed head to toe in black and smoking a cigarette leaning against the frame. He looked over, first eyeing Eren, then grinning at Levi. “Hey, good to see you back so soon. Who’s your friend?” the man asked, glancing at Eren again and puffing out a cloud of smoke.

“This is Eren,” Levi replied, deadpan. Eren blinked, only just then noticing that Levi’s voice had been more inflected and emotional when they were alone. This was another thing that made Eren smile. Not only had they kissed, but Levi seemed to be getting more comfortable around him. More comfortable than he was around the guy introducing himself, that is.

“Hi, Eren. I’m Gustav. S’nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Gustav,” Eren replied, trying to be polite.

Levi’s hand flexed a little around Eren’s as he pulled him closer to the door. “We wanna go in. Eren forgot his I.D. and I figured we could skip the bullshit up front and just come in through here.”

Gustav nodded and stepped out of the way. “Of course, go ahead. You guys have fun,” he said, taking a long drag from his cigarette. Levi pulled Eren through the open door and headed toward the sound of pounding music through the employees-only back hall. He opened another door and the music seemed to blast directly at them. Strobe lights and lasers were all over the place, illuminating the cluster of people who were jamming on the brightly tiled dance floor.

The place was bigger than it looked on the outside. With the dance floor taking up most of the open space in the center of the room, it made the little bar at the far end of the room seem tiny. Across the room from the bar, up on an indoor balcony, was a DJ. A little stage with a karaoke machine and a TV hanging on the wall sat below the balcony. The rest of the walls were lined with cushioned seats and a few scattered tables, most of which were taken up by people who were either passed out drunk or making out like wild animals. ****

“Woah,” Eren breathed. “This place is cool.”

Levi snorted and smirked. “C’mon, let’s go to the bar and take advantage of the free drinks you get.”

Levi took Eren over to the bar and let go of his hand to pull out his wallet. He took out two alcohol wipes and handed one of them to Eren. By now, Eren didn’t have to watch Levi to know what to do. He wiped down a stool, sat on it, then wiped off the little area of polished wood that would accompany his drinks and maybe his elbows. He balled up the wipe when he was finished and shoved it in his jacket pocket. ****

“Hello, there! I haven’t seen your face around here before,” the bartender greeted, grinning at Eren. Eren blinked. The bartender did not look like the sort of person that would work in a swanky place like Club Thorn. He was literally dressed like an old-timey bartender, balding and scratching at his thick, white mustache. As Levi carefully took a seat next to Eren, the bartender chuckled. “I _have_ seen you, though.” He slid a bottle of beer down the bar in Eren’s direction, using that stereotypical bartender phrase, “On the house, buddy.”

Eren grinned and reached for the bottle, but Levi swiped it before he even got close. “There’s no way in Hell I’m letting you get drunk,” he said, turning in the chair to face the dance floor so the bartender wouldn’t see his thievery.

“What?! But you said we’d take advantage of the free drinks!” Eren protested.

“Which I am.” Levi popped the cap on the bottle and took a long swig. It tasted bitter.

“You’ve only seen me drunk _once_!”

“Once is enough.”

“You don’t even _like_ beer!”

At that, Levi paused. He looked over at Eren and met his gaze. “You’re right. I don’t.” Keeping eye contact, Levi tilted the bottle back again and gulped heavily.

Eren groaned and crossed his arms, grumbling unintelligibly under his breath about how it wasn’t fair that they were in a nightclub and he wasn’t even allowed to have one little drink.

Levi rolled his eyes and suppressed a smile. “You’re a fucking brat,” he said. His tone conveyed it as a term of endearment.

“ _You’re_ a fucking brat,” Eren grumped, trying not to give in to Levi’s legitimate sweetness. _Mikasa would probably kill us both if Levi brought me home drunk,_ he thought, his stance softening a little. Eren bit the inside of his cheek. What was there to do _besides_ drinking? There was dancing, which would probably do more to embarrass him rather than entertain him. Making out on a cushioned seat didn’t sound so bad, except Levi probably wouldn’t be up for intense physical contact in a public place. Eren glanced over to the DJ, then at the space below his balcony. He pondered it for a moment. _I’d really love to hear Levi sing a song again_. “Hey...Levi?”

“Hm?”

“Do you maybe wanna try doing karaoke with me?”

Levi glanced over at the stage across the room. He squinted his eyes a little in deliberation. “What the Hell, let’s do it. I call dibs on the song of choice.” Eren broke into a wide grin and hopped off his chair. He grabbed Levi’s hand and practically vibrated with excitement.

“Let’s go, then! Right now!” Eren urged. Levi slid off his chair, loosely locked fingers with Eren, and led him around the crowd of people. He didn’t want to risk going through the clump of drunken partygoers and end up accidentally touching someone.

They made it across the room, up onto the stage. Levi let go of Eren’s hand and stepped over to the karaoke machine, sighing in relief. There was a big bottle of Germ-X next to the book full of CDs that lay atop the machine. He squirted some in his hands, then began flipping through the book. Eren looked over Levi’s shoulder curiously as the man selected a CD. “Ever heard of Marina and the Diamonds?” Levi asked.

“Yeah, Mikasa’s really into her music. Did you find a good song?”

Levi snorted. “If you can downplay the description of Marina’s music to just ‘good’, then yeah. We should do ‘How to Be a Heartbreaker’. You up for it?”

“Hell yeah, I’m up for it,” Eren replied with a grin. “I’m nowhere near as good as you, but I know the words to the song.”

Eren grabbed the microphones while Levi bent down to put the CD in the machine. He bounced up and down on his heels excitedly. Nothing else was on his mind. _Levi’s gonna sing with me. We’re having fun. He definitely likes me. He really_ does _have a great ass. Levi is actually going to sing with me!_ Levi took his microphone as Eren’s bouncing got more animated, and the pop music coming from the speakers suddenly faded out as he wiped off the stem of the microphone and its head.

Eren stopped bouncing.

 _Wait. There is no way the karaoke machine is hooked up to all the speakers in this place_ , he thought, his eyebrows furrowing. “Levi, can they hear-?”

It was too late. The music started. And it was loud.

 _Okay. Yeah. They’re all gonna hear. God, if you exist, please help me not suck at this. Fuck. Shit._ ****

As Levi began the first verse, he looked over at Eren. He was wide-eyed and staring out at everyone who was looking at them now, seemingly petrified, but quietly mumbling along with Levi. He looked pale. Seeing Eren looking scared like that was almost painful. But what could he do? He didn’t exactly have a Master’s Degree in comfort. _Why did he want to do this if he was gonna lock up like this anyway?_ Levi thought, reaching up and turning Eren’s face toward his. They locked eyes, and Levi sang to Eren.

“This is how to be a heartbreaker! Boys, they like a little danger!

We’ll get ‘em fallin’ for a stranger, a player, singin’

I lo- lo- love you~”

 ****_There we go. He doesn’t look so bug-eyed anymore. Guess I should hold his hand or something._ ****

Levi’s fingers slipped away from Eren’s cheek and dropped down. He took hold of Eren’s free hand and squeezed it a little. Thankfully, his face started to show a little color. He sang a little louder, still staring at Levi. No, he was _gazing_ at Levi. Gazing at him like he was the most wonderful thing in the world. Eren’s taut shoulders relaxed. He even smiled a little.

Levi stared at that smile. They came to the arc of the song, and Eren fell silent so Levi could sing it.

“Girls,” Levi breathed, “We do...Whatever it will take…

‘Cause girls don’t want, we don’t want our hearts to break

in two. So it’s better to be fake.

Can’t risk losin’ in love again, babe.”

There was a break in the lyrics for the buildup to the next verse. Levi seized the opportunity without a second thought and kissed Eren hard. Eren gasped softly against his lips and moaned a little bit. Levi realized he liked that. He liked that a _lot_. He kissed deeper, nearly missing the next verse, but broke away in time for the both of them to bring their microphones up and belt out together,

“This is how to be a heartbreaker!

Boys, they like a little danger!

We’ll get ‘em fallin’ for a stranger, a player,

singin’ I lo- lo- love you~!”

Levi gestured over to the clubbers with his eyes. Eren turned, looked out, and saw people dancing. Some were clapping along with the beat. Others were singing with them. _Holy shit, they actually like the way we sound!_ he thought excitedly. Eren squeezed Levi’s hand hard and kept going, pouring his heart into the last few words of the song. He hardly noticed that Levi had stopped singing to let him have a moment in the spotlight.

“‘Cause I lo- lo- lo- love you!

At least I _think_ I do.”

Levi’s heart was ramming against his ribcage as Eren finished.

Breathless, Eren turned back toward Levi and happily kissed his forehead. It was the closest part of him to kiss in the moment. “You’re the best,” Eren whispered. “Thank you so much for calming me down. Wanna do another song? Please?” He was bouncing again. ****

Levi fought back a smile and looked away. “We might as well do a couple more, I guess. Until someone else gets the balls to come up here and sing, anyway,” he said.

“Sweet! I wanna choose the next song, okay?”

Levi nodded, and Eren bounded over to the CD book. They sang Livin’ On A Prayer, Every Time We Touch, and after having to face a rather intense puppydog stare from Eren, Levi hesitantly agreed to sing What Does The Fox Say? Eren was having the time of his life. Levi could admit that singing with Eren was kind of fun.

Panting, exhausted, and dying for drinks, Levi and Eren set their microphones down and got off the stage. Eren grinned at those who clapped for their performance. The pop music resumed for a brief moment as the two of them walked back to the bar, then another couple came up and started singing a duet. “Two cokes,” Levi ordered, wiping down the seat and bar again before he sat down. Eren merely plopped down on his own seat and yawned.

“Can’t I have _one_ beer?” he whined.

The bartender handed over the drinks and Levi gave him his credit card. “If you fell off the end of my bike and died because you were too drunk to hold on to me, I would kill you,” he said, pushing the glass toward Eren with his fingertips. Eren sighed, but smiled, and grabbed the drink. He downed his coke quickly and turned to watch the people on stage sing and dance without a care in the world. _I bet that’s how we looked_ , Eren thought happily. Levi sipped at his drink and watched Eren smile and gaze dreamily.

 _I like him_ , Levi decided. _I like him a lot._

Half an hour flew by. Levi finished his coke. “Hey,” Eren called, looking over at him. “I told you about my home life a while ago. Is it okay if I ask about yours?”

“Refills?” The bartender asked. Levi nodded and handed him the glasses.

“What do you want to know?” Levi asked.

Eren pursed his lips and thought. “What do you do when you’re not with your band? Do you have any pets? Do you live alone?”

The drinks returned, full, and Levi took a sip of his. “I spend most of my time by myself when I’m not with the band. I live alone. Usually I clean up my house or go to my therapist or I hang out in clubs like this, which is pretty much my normal routine. I don’t have any pets. Don’t want any. Animals are gross and germy,” he explained.

Eren frowned. “What about puppies? Do you think _they’re_ gross and germy?”

Levi raised an eyebrow. “Are you really asking me that?”

“They’re cute, though,” Eren argued.

“And slobbery, and they shed, and they lick your face right after they lick their balls,” Levi shot back.

“Okay, yes, but they’re also fun to play with and they’re all small and innocent and just fucking cute, alright?”

Levi snorted. “That’s not how I’d describe puppies. That’s how I’d describe _you_.” He paused. “Fuck. I said that out loud.”

 ****Eren stared at Levi for a second. _Did he just say he thinks I’m cute?_ Levi was sipping at his drink again. Eren couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and gently kissed Levi on the cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me. Thank you,” he whispered. With satisfaction, Eren saw Levi’s cheeks flush again. ****

“It’s late as fuck. Let’s get you home, okay?” Levi asked.

Eren smiled earnestly, his heart fluttering for the umpteenth time that night. “Okay.”

\-----------------

On the ride back to Eren’s home, Eren hugged Levi tightly around the waist. He almost dozed off a couple of times, it was so peaceful, but Levi looked back periodically to make sure he stayed awake. They pulled up to the building and parked, and instead of staying seated, Levi got off the bike and held the picnic basket. Eren took off the helmet and shook his hair out again as he got off himself, only wobbling a little bit this time. They traded the basket and helmet again. “Is it alright if I walk you to your door?” Levi asked, his tone more serious and professional than it had been all night.

Eren smiled, feeling as if he was starting to figure Levi out. He didn’t like seeming too affectionate, even whilst _being_ affectionate. Yeah, that’s what it was. “Yes, you may,” he replied, holding out his hand expectantly. Levi sighed and took hold of it, letting Eren lead him into the building. They climbed the stairs, stepped in front of Eren’s door, and stopped. Eren looked down at Levi. “Would it be too much to say this was the best night of my life?” he asked.

Levi snorted. “Yes. If this was the best night of your life, then the nights ahead of you are gonna blow your mind.”

“Are you saying you’re willing to give me mind-blowing nights?” Eren asked, playfully wiggling his eyebrows. Levi snorted again and rolled his eyes.

“We’ll see, brat. Behave yourself, stay in school, don’t do drugs, eat your vegetables, and I’ll see if I can fit you into my agenda.”

They both laughed quietly.

“So...Is this the part where you kiss me goodbye at the door?” Eren asked.

“And leave you wanting more?” Levi continued, breaking into a soft smile. “Sure. I can do that.”

Levi leaned up on his tiptoes just as Eren leaned down. They kissed softly, sweetly, and pulled away. “I like you a lot,” Eren said.

“I have a fondness for you,” Levi replied. “Goodnight, Eren.”

“G- Goodnight, Levi,” Eren said. Levi’s hand slipped away from his after one final squeeze, the man went down the stairs, and he was gone. Eren exhaled. “Best night of my life,” he repeated softly to himself, numbly fumbling around in his pockets until he found his house key.

Eren quietly let himself in, shut the door behind him, and locked it again. The clock with the broken glass face read that it was three forty-seven AM. Eren tiptoed past his mother’s bed and scurried down the hall, finding the bathroom. He flipped on the light and locked the door, then stared at his reflection in the mirror above the sink. Unbelievably, he looked the same as he always did. How could that be possible, given that he felt completely new and far better a person than he was before he’d gotten suspended? Eren stripped. He took a long look at himself in the mirror again, then stepped in the shower and turned on the spray as he replayed the entire night over and over again in his head. Every time he did it, he noticed new little things that Levi did. The sweet gestures and things he said. He thought about the way Levi’s hand felt in his. The warmth of Levi’s back. The way Levi’s beautiful voice soothed him. The way Levi’s lips and tongue made him moan.

Eren’s hand was around his cock before he could stop himself. He remembered the way his own name rolled off Levi’s tongue like he was meant to say it, over and over. _“Eren.”_ He twitched, stroking himself slowly as a low moan rumbled from his chest. Eren bit his lip to keep quiet. _“Eren.”_ He closed his eyes, and new images of Levi emerged. It was Levi’s hand around him, now. He tugged a little. Eren’s breath hitched. Levi was licking his ear, now, running his hands through Eren’s hair, whispering his name in a breathless sigh of ecstasy. _“Eren.”_ He choked a little, hips stuttering into his hand, and came hard.

Eren tiptoed from the bathroom to his and Mikasa’s bedroom in just his boxers. He slowly opened the door, slowly shut it behind him, tiptoeing even more carefully. He slid into bed, pulled up the covers, and lay on his side away from Mikasa. Eren closed his eyes and sighed into his pillow.

“I hope you aimed for the drain, at least,” Mikasa whispered.

 ****“God _damn_ it, Mikasa!” Eren whispered back, throwing the blanket up over his head. “Good _night_.”

Mikasa snickered and went back to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait ^-^; I wrote a /lot/. But you all deserve a long chapter~ Please, don't be afraid to comment with your opinion! I hope you all like it!


	12. October

“Hey Armin, what’s the Quadratic Formula again?” Eren asked, leaning over the lunch table to peer at Armin’s notes.

“Eren, you need to eat,” he scolded, holding his notebook tight against his chest.

“Yeah. It’s good that you’re cracking down on your homework, but it’s pointless if you don’t keep yourself fed and hydrated,” Mikasa added, sliding Eren’s tray toward him.

Eren groaned. “Come on, guys, gimme a break. I want to go see Levi today. And I don’t want to have to worry about finishing my homework if I end up staying out late.”

“ _Eat_ ,” they insisted in unison.

With a huff, Eren settled back in his seat and stabbed his fork into a tater tot.

Connie slid into the empty seat next to Mikasa and leaned in a little to get their attention. “Hey, did any of you hear what happened to Hitch?” he asked.

Armin tilted his head. “Something happened to her…?”

“Did her fake boobs bust or something?” Eren asked.

“Pffftt,” Connie grinned, “Sasha saw her in the office at the end of the day last Thursday. She says Hitch’s face was all busted up. Had a black eye and a bloody nose and everything. That’s why she’s not here today. Wasn’t here Friday, either.”

“Holy shit,” Eren murmured. “Who did it? I have to thank them personally for this.”

“Nobody saw it happen, but look,” Connie leaned back and jabbed a thumb toward the far lunch table at the end of the room. “Annie Leonhardt’s got a black eye of her own.”

The three of them turned and looked over, seeing Annie sitting quietly between Bertholdt and Reiner. Her head was down as she ate her lunch and her hood was up. Bert was speaking softly to Krista and Ymir was making grand gestures at Reiner, who burst out laughing and smacked the lunch table.

Annie looked up at Reiner, and Armin gasped. “Holy _fuck_ , that’s a shiner!” Eren blurted.

Mikasa sucked on the straw in her milk.

“When do you think it happened?” Armin asked, turning back toward Connie.

He shrugged. “Sometime Thursday afternoon, I guess. Annie came in Friday morning with the black eye and Hitch’s posse kept knocking her books out of her hands and shit like that every chance they got ‘till Reiner Braun stepped in and scared the piss out of them.”

“Well, Hitch certainly got what she deserved. She should’ve known that fucking with people was bound to backfire at some point. I wonder what she did to Annie….” Mikasa mused.

“Whatever happened, there’s no way Hitch is coming back anytime soon. I’m pretty sure she has a broken nose. Maybe a chipped tooth, too. That would be hilarious,” Connie snickered.

Eren reached over and gave him a fist bump. “It _so_ would be,” he agreed.

When Lunch was over, Mikasa went to Art, Armin went to English, and Eren went to History. He did his best to pay attention to what the teacher said. He took sloppy, scribbly notes. He started on his homework as soon as it was given to him. He had a plan.

 _It’s still the beginning of the year_ , Eren thought. _I know I developed bad habits last school year since I spent all my time with mom instead of doing homework. As long as I’m proactive and get all my homework out of the way before I even get to the apartment, I can go see Levi without worrying about all this bullshit after like I did with mom_. Eren was proud of himself. It was a foolproof plan.

\------------------------------------

“The young girl felt quite _sanguine_ after passing the difficult math test,” Armin said.

His English teacher smiled. “Very good,” she said, checking _sanguine_ off the list of words on her clipboard. “Now, who wants to give a sentence for _tempestuous_?”

Armin flipped to the next page in his vocabulary book and stared at it blankly, his mind wandering. _Thursday...That’s the day Hitch and her friends threw my things in the pool,_ he thought. He glanced over at Annie. Her head was down on the desk in the far back corner and her hood was up. _It’s unlikely that Annie would start trouble. She’s always quiet and never gets in anyone’s way. Would Hitch pick on her for that…?_

When class was over, Armin stood and stretched. He gathered up his things as the other students pushed their way out the door, Annie silently trailing behind. Armin threw his bookbag on his back and followed after her. “A- Annie?”

She stopped in the hall, but kept her head down and pulled her hood down further over her face. “What is it?” she asked softly.

“I…I just…” _No, I can’t ask her about it. It’s not right to try and involve myself in someone else’s business._ Armin was at a loss for words for a moment. He fidgeted, adjusting his hold on his books, and looked up at her. “Well...I hope you feel better. I imagine you must be in some pain right now,” he began. “I read somewhere that vitamin C really helps heal black eyes. You could also use comfrey root, or even cayenne pepper mixed with Vaseline. And making a bloodroot paste to put on your eye works well, too.” _Oh, no. I’m rambling. But I can’t help it, I don’t know what else I can do to help!_ “I know that witch hazel is good for soothing pain, and putting raw potato slices on your eye reduces swelling. Arnica heals damaged tissue around the eye…! ” Armin’s face started going a little red.

“How do you know all that?” She was staring at him now.

Armin blinked. “O- Oh. Well, actually, my best friend sort of gets into fights a lot. And he gets hurt a lot, too, so I have lots of experience with treating facial injuries,” he replied.

Annie hummed in response. “Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it.” The girl pulled her hood down over her face again and walked away. The bell for sixth period rang.

“Ah! I’m late!” Armin gripped his books hard against his chest and raced down the hall worriedly.

\---------------------------------

Mikasa dipped her paintbrush in the cup of water at her table and swirled it around. _It seems like dating Levi is better for Eren than I expected,_ she thought. The chair beside her scraped against the floor.

“Hey, Mikasa. I really like your painting,” Jean greeted, sitting. His voice sounded nasally. There was a thick bandage over the bridge of his nose and he was wearing sunglasses.

“Thanks,” Mikasa muttered, glancing at the outline of Jean’s fading black eye. _Damn, everyone’s getting the shit beaten out of them lately._

Jean adjusted his glasses and grinned at Mikasa as she turned back to her painting and dipped her brush into some violet paint. “So, you going to the weight room after school today? I was hoping we could work out together or something. I could totally spot you, if you want.”

Mikasa refrained from making any facial expressions in response to that. “Do whatever you want,” she replied.

He nodded enthusiastically, but then turned to look across the room at Marco. Marco had been watching them, and gave Jean an encouraging thumbs up. He nodded again, returning the gesture before he looked at Mikasa again. “Well, I guess I’ll see you there. Try not to be too impressed by my wicked rad muscles when I get my shirt off~” Jean winked, despite Mikasa being unable to see it through his sunglasses. Mikasa rolled her eyes just as Jean stood again and walked back over to the table he and Marco shared. Jean plopped back down in his seat, set his sunglasses down on the table, and grinned. “Nailed it.” There was a gleam of pride in his eyes. Especially the one with the light rim of purple around it.

Marco smiled. “I’m proud of you,” he replied, dipping his paintbrush into the cup of water beside him. They both began working on their art again. Jean, on his close-up of a spur at the back of a boot. Marco, on his cloudy sky with a single hot air balloon floating in the distance. “Do you think she’d agree to go on a date with you, now that you’ve been flirting with her for a few weeks?” Marco asked, after enduring a long moment of silence with that question burning into his mind.

Making long, uneven strokes on his canvas, Jean snickered smugly. “Without a doubt. I just gotta find the right time to make my final move, then when we start dating,  Eren can kiss my sweet, sweet ass.”

Jean laughed. Marco hummed softly and looked away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Jean asked, frowning a little.

Marco looked back at him and laughed softly. “Nothing, I was just thinking. Do you want me to go to the weight room with you? I could keep giving you moral support from across the room. Heh.”

Jean grinned again and patted Marco’s back. “Sure, buddy. I’d love it if you came with me.”

He smiled brightly. “And maybe we can get something to eat after you workout, too.”

“Yeah, McDonald’s,” Jean snorted, playfully elbowing Marco’s arm. “Oh, that reminds me, what did your mom say about having me over today?”

“She says it’s totally cool,” Marco said, “And she wanted me to tell you that we’re having spaghetti tonight.”

Jean made a victorious fist and closed his eyes, his expression blissful. “I fucking _love_ spaghetti,” he whispered.

Marco snorted and broke into another smile. “I know, silly. That’s why she made it. Believe me, my entire family knows spaghetti is your favorite,” he said.

Jean opened his eyes again and gave Marco a sudden dark, serious look. “No, no no no no. Spaghetti isn’t my favorite. Omelets are my favorite. But spaghetti is a close, close second.”

“Right. Only your mom’s omelets, though,” Marco added.

After they put their projects on the drying rack at the end of class, Jean slipped his sunglasses back on and did the “sup” tilt to Mikasa as she walked out the door. She didn’t see him, but he grinned anyways. Marco patted Jean’s shoulder sympathetically and ushered him along to  their next class.

At the end of the day, Jean saw Mikasa getting her gym clothes from her locker with Armin and Eren on either side of her. _Fuck, I forgot to get my clothes from my locker_ , Jean thought, looking down at his own attire. _Wait. I’m already wearing basketball shorts, thank God._

“Alright, I got everything put away. You wanna go ahead and get to the weight room, or would you rather walk with Mikasa?” Marco asked, closing his own locker and twisting the lock back.

She was talking to Eren, now. _It’s probably gonna be a while_ , Jean thought. “Let’s get there first, Marco.” The freckled boy beamed and nodded, following after Jean as he started down the hall. When they got to the weight room, Jean headed straight for the weights and picked up two that were marked with 25lb. “Perfect,” he whispered, lifting them both before setting them back on the rack again. Marco sat down at the end of the bench next to the weight rack and watched Jean closely.

“You’re gonna start already?” Marco asked, blinking as Jean slipped his shirt off.

Jean tossed the shirt next to Marco and picked up the weights again. “Yeah. I sorta want to workout for real, so I might as well get some exercise before I start flirting it up hardcore with Mikasa,” he explained. “And who knows, maybe I can persuade her to come try out the gym equipment I have at home. It’s way better than this crap here, that’s for sure.” Jean looked around the weight room in distaste.

The muscles in Jean’s abdomen tensed ever so slightly as he lifted the weight in his left hand, relaxed when he lowered it, then tensed again when he lifted the weight in his right hand. His biceps flexed in the most weirdly wonderful way, and even with the sunglasses and nose bandage on, Marco could see how serious and focused his face was. His lips were parted slightly as he took in shallow breaths, but his sharp, defined jaw was clenched. “Uhh...Yeah. Yeah, that sounds awesome. You’re just...Doing _awesome_.” Marco then directed his attention to the poster on the wall beside them that said ‘Don’t forget: Drink water, Warm up,  and Cool down.’ Those tips were suddenly very interesting to him.

Just then, the door opened. Mikasa stepped into the room wearing the black shorts and sleeveless shirt she usually wore in gym class. Her red scarf was draped over her arm and her gym bag was in her hand. Suddenly, Jean blurted, “One-fifty- _eight_! One-fifty- _nine_! One- _sixty_!” With a deep sigh, he turned toward her. “Oh, Mikasa. I didn’t hear you come in,” he greeted, smiling at her.

Mikasa hummed softly and set her things down. “You said you’d spot me, right? Hey, Marco.”

“Hey, Mikasa,” Marco replied, waving.

Jean set the weights back on the rack. “Yeah, of course. You’re gonna lift right now?” Mikasa nodded and laid back on the flat bench, just under the bar. “How much weight do you want?” Jean asked, turning back toward the weight rack and stepping over to the side that had the weight plates.

“Give me two-eighty,” she ordered. Jean blinked, utterly impressed by her in that moment, but wasn’t surprised. Everyone knew Mikasa was strong.

With a soft grunt, Jean got two 140lb marked plates and fitted them to each end of the bar. Mikasa took a slow, deep breath, gripped the bar, and lifted it up. She slowly brought it down toward her chest, then lifted it up again. Jean stood behind her and shook his head. “Damn. You really aren’t like the other girls,” he said.

“The fuck- ngh- is wrong with other girls?” Mikasa replied.

“Well, they’re not you.” Mikasa looked up at Jean. He smirked back. _Holy fucking shit, oh my God, holy fuck. That was so fucking smooth. I’m the smoothest operator in the universe. I’m the fucking best, oh my God. Ten points to Kirschtein._

Mikasa didn’t have anything to say to that. She continued lifting wordlessly, Jean softly counting how many she was doing, Marco gazing quietly at Jean.  
 ****

While Marco was proud of Jean, and very happy that he had a love interest, Marco couldn’t help but wish that Jean would notice him a little more. Of course Jean _noticed_ him, they were best friends and had five classes together. Not to mention the fact that they worked together in the town auto repair shop and spent practically every weekend at each other’s houses. They were already like a married couple. At least, that’s what Marco’s little sister always said. If Marco’s parents ever heard her say that, he would probably never be allowed to see Jean again. They were an upstanding Christian family, after all. The last thing they would want is having the Bodt name dragged through the mud by having a gay son. It was like some cruel joke God was playing on Marco. Especially since Jean was straighter than his own father, who was even more disgusted by homosexuals than Marco’s parents were. It was all a cruel, terrible joke. Still, even if Jean didn’t notice Marco the way he’d always hoped, they still had their friendship, and he wouldn’t give that up for anything in the world. Marco was happy.

He watched Jean flirt with Mikasa for another hour until she decided she was finished with her workout and went to the showers. After she left, Jean plopped down beside Marco and adjusted his sunglasses. “I think I’m almost ready to ask her out,” he announced.

“Oh, really? I’m so happy for you! What are you going to say?” Marco asked, giving Jean a proud smile.

Jean blushed a little. “I don’t know exactly how I’m gonna say it, but I know I’ll say it soon. I’m gonna tell her how I really feel, then I’ll ask her-” He gasped. “I’ll ask her to homecoming! Oh, this is _perfect_!”

Marco’s happy expression fell a little. “But I thought we were go-”

“I know we were gonna just go to the movies, but this is my chance! I can ask her out by asking her to be my date to homecoming! Oh, this is gonna be so fucking awesome. I’ll pick her up in my dad’s mustang and take her somewhere nice to eat first. Then we’ll drive to homecoming and I’ll totally sweep her off her feet with my awesome dance moves. After that, I’ll take her to someplace romantic and secluded where we can end our night in a hot makeout session. Damn, we might even...I need to get some condoms.”

“NO!” Marco jumped up unthinkingly, grabbing Jean by the shoulders. “YOU ARE NOT…! I...I mean...You just- Should not...Do that…!” The large balloon of panic that swelled up in that instant was starting to deflate. “I just mean that...You know, h- homecoming is a month away.” Marco sat down again and rested his hands in his lap. “And you remember the rumors about what happened to Mikasa, don’t you? It wouldn’t be a good idea to go in assuming you’re going to have sex when it’s likely that neither of you, _especially_ her, would be comfortable with that.”

Jean blinked. “I...Y- Yeah, you’re right. Sorry. I guess you’re looking out for the both of us, huh?”

He nodded softly, looking back toward the poster. “Yeah. I think both of you deserve to be happy.”

“Thanks, man. I really don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you here to help me out.” Jean rested his hand on Marco’s shoulder and squeezed it softly.

Marco nodded again. “Yeah. Let’s get to my house. We still need to get our math done.”

\---------------------------------------------------

Jean’s red mustang slid to a stop at the curb in front of the Bodt home, complete with a white picket fence, freshly clipped lawn, and a crisp, pristine paint job. Marco stepped out of the passenger side and ran up the walkway to the front door, quickly unlocking it and stepping inside just as Jean followed. They both kicked off their shoes and Marco called out, “Mom, I’m home!” as they stepped into the ornate  living room from the spacious foyer.

“Hey, Marco. No work today? Hey, douchebag.” Marco’s little sister was nestled in their father’s thick leather armchair with her laptop in her lap, Tumblr open, as usual.

Jean glared at her. “Hey, Maggie. Yeah, Jean and I both have a couple days off,” Marco replied. “Y’know, if you stay on the computer all day, you’ll never get a boyfriend,” he warned playfully.

Maggie barked out a sudden laugh and kept her eyes on the screen. “I’ll get a boyfriend when _you_ do, Marco.”

He stiffened a little, his eyes darting from Maggie to Jean, then to every open doorway in the immediate vicinity. Why did Maggie have to be so forward like that?! Jean, thankfully remaining as thick headed as usual, didn’t catch the hint.

“So you’re _never_ getting a boyfriend? Weird, I thought it was just your looks that prevented it,” Jean grumbled.

Maggie rolled her eyes and bitch-faced Jean hard. “You really are a neanderthal, aren’t you?”

He balled up his fists and took a step toward her. “Shut up, you’re fifteen!”

“Will the both of you settle down? Jiminy Christmas, you’re bickering like cats and dogs.” Marco’s mother stepped out of the kitchen, heels clacking, wiping her manicured hands off on a handkerchief. “Margret, go clean up for dinner. You too, boys. It’ll be ready in half an hour and I don’t want you to forget to wash your hands.”

“Yeah, _Margret_ ,” Jean teased.

She shot a glare at him and growled, “You shut your hole, Pony Boy.”

“Margret! You apologize right this minute,” Mrs. Bodt ordered. Marco groaned softly, wishing they could just get upstairs already. This kind of thing happened almost every time Jean was over. It was ridiculous. Maggie apologized, but stuck her tongue out at Jean when her mother went back into the kitchen. Jean stuck his out right back at her. They finally made it up to Marco’s room and dropped their things on the floor, but only after Jean and Maggie made a few more faces at each other. Marco plopped down on his bed and laid back.

“Standard form is A x squared plus B x plus C, right…?” he mumbled.

Jean snickered and patted Marco’s knee. Marco jerked a little. “Come on, you know this stuff better than me.”

Marco grumbled.

Jean sat down beside Marco and looked down at him. “What’s bothering you?”

He sighed and closed his eyes. “I’m just worried about you and Mikasa,” he confessed. “I...I don’t want either of you to get hurt, that’s all.”

“Ooohhhhh. I see, now. Dude, you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll totally be responsible with her, okay? And even if I did something she didn’t like, it’s not like she’s weak or anything. She could easily kick my ass,” assured Jean, chuckling. “Which reminds me...Will you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Marco replied earnestly, sitting up.

“I need you to help me practice what I’m gonna say to Mikasa when I finally confess my feelings to her. No homo, of course. You just have to sit there, that’s all. I promise.”

Marco smiled softly and nodded a little. “Of course, Jean. What kind of best friend would I be if I couldn’t do that for you?”  
  
 ****

Breaking into a huge grin, Jean replied, “You’re the best, bro. I totally owe you a solid for this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry for the long wait, you guys. The depression and writer's block hit me hard. Leave comments and kudos if you don't think this chapter is shitty. (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:・ﾟ✧


	13. Sweet Dreams Are Made Of These

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean and Marco, sittin' in a tree....

Ten minutes later, with both their bookbags and homework forgotten on the floor, one of Mary Bodt’s wigs atop Marco’s head, one of her expensive red scarves around his neck, they were ready. “Oh, hi~” Marco greeted, “It’s me, Mikasa. I’m real pretty and strong and a little scary but everybody likes me anyways because I’m just awesome. But you already knew that, didn’t you, cutie~?”

Marco fluttered his eyelashes and Jean bit his lip, trying not to laugh. Marco’s acting, unlike his mother’s, was terrible. But it made Jean less nervous, which was just what he needed at the moment. He was in the zone. It was Mikasa in front of him right now.

“Mikasa….I really like you. I’ve liked you since second grade. I think you’re really cute and pretty and strong, too. I just… I really want you to be my girlfriend,” Jean said.

Marco made a rather girly huff. “Is that all you see in me?! I want a boyfriend who loves me for who I am, not how cute I am!”

“What the fuck, dude?”

“I’m being realistic, okay?” Marco flipped his hair over his shoulder.

Jean rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I do like you for who you are. You’re a very nice girl and I like that about you,” he said. “Would you please go to homecoming with me?”

“Humph. Maybe I have plans.”

“ _Dude_!”

“I’m just trying to be _realistic_ , I said. You can’t ask her out if you can’t imagine rejection is a possibility.”

Jean frowned. “You’re just mad at me for ditching our homecoming plans, aren’t you?”

Marco rolled his eyes and adjusted his scarf. “Don’t be dumb. You just need to be more passionate and sincere with your feelings when you ask Mikasa to go with you. You have to sweep her off her feet and show her that you’re a great guy and you feel like you deserve a chance with her. But if she rejects you, don’t get mad. Rejection happens to everyone and she’s not obligated to date you just because you asked.”

Jean let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. “Alright. Alright. I’ll try a different tactic, then.” He opened his eyes, put on his game face, and wrapped his arm around Marco’s shoulders. Marco blinked in surprise and felt his face heat up a little when Jean let his eyes go half-lidded. And he was smirking. Fuck, that was hot. He gulped. “Mikasa,” Jean breathed. “You’re beautiful, inside and out. You’re smarter and stronger than any other person I’ve known.” Jean made a point to scoot a little closer, their sides almost touching. That bought him a little more time to think of what he’d say next. Jean looked into Marco’s eyes and bit his lip. “You’re always so quiet...But your eyes tell me how lonely and sad you are. I’m lonely, too. Seeing you smile drives me crazy with butterflies, you know.” He leaned in just a little. “You have such a gorgeous smile. Every bit of you is gorgeous, Mikasa. Your personality, your figure, your hair, your frec-” He stopped himself. _Wait, What? What the fuck was I about to say? I wasn’t gonna say freckles. Mikasa doesn’t have freckles._

He shook his head, freeing himself from his lost train of thought, and met Marco’s eyes again. Jean saw how red his face had gotten. Marco’s breathing had gone all soft and shallow.   _Woah. I’d probably be attracted to that if a girl did it_ , Jean thought absently. Marco leaned in just a little more, looking almost unsure.

“Boys! Dinner is ready! I hope you’re both cleaned up!” Marco’s mother shouted, climbing the steps.

Jean stood up and cleared his throat as Marco slapped his hand over his mouth. _Did that seriously just happen?_ Marco thought. _I almost...Oh, God_. He stood just as quickly, pulling off the wig and hiding it behind his back. He hoped to God his face wasn't all red.

Mary popped her head in the doorway and waved her hand at them. “Well, come on! I don’t know how many meatballs you want, and they’re getting cold.”

Jean nodded and followed her out. “I hope you made a lot, I’m starving!” he replied. Marco tossed the wig and scarf on his bed and bounded after them quietly. He didn’t care for meatballs.

In the dining room, with Marco’s father, Matthew Bodt, at the head of the table,  the rest of the family settled in. Mary sat on the other end, Marco and Jean sat next to each other, and Maggie sat across from them. They all bowed their heads to pray.

“Thank you, Lord, for this lovely meal you have blessed us with. Thank you for the safety and health of our family, and thank you for bringing Jean over yet again to share this wonderful meal. We will all forever be grateful for every gift you give us. In Jesus name, Amen,” Matthew murmured.

Then  everyone silently filled their plates, grabbing at garlic bread and picking meatballs out of the spaghetti with metal tongs. Well, it was mostly Jean just doing that. “Soooo, what’s been going on at school lately? Anything new that I can get our church involved in?” Mary asked.

Maggie restrained herself from rolling her eyes. “No, mom. Believe me, if there was anything that could have something to do with church, you’d be the first to hear about it,” she grumbled.

“I will not tolerate backtalk, young lady,” Mary replied. Marco sighed softly and pushed a meatball around on his plate passively, trying to keep his mind on anything but the people sitting at the table.

“Homecoming’s in a month,” Jean said, chewing on some noodles. “I’ve pretty much already got my date locked down already too. It’s gonna be awesome!” Marco’s meatball pushing got the slightest bit more aggressive.

Mary looked at Marco expectantly, waiting. He could feel her eyes boring into him. “...Well? Honey? Who’s the lucky girl _you_ asked to the dance?”

The freckled boy plastered a smile on his face and forced himself to make direct eye contact with his mother. “I haven’t asked her yet, actually. I feel a little nervous around her, so I might just go to homecoming alone,” he replied.

“You could go with Margret,” Matthew suggested. Maggie shoved a piece of garlic bread in her mouth to keep from responding to him. _Yeah, thanks, dad. Just offer me up to anyone you want without consulting me first. Again. I love it when you do that,_ she thought.

Jean playfully elbowed Marco’s side. “Yeah see? Now we can forget about our old plans and just have fun. It’ll be cool,” he said. “And hey, who’s the girl you wanted to ask to- ow!” Jean jerked back in his chair.

“Are you okay, sweetie?!” Mary asked, giving him a worried expression.

Maggie picked up her glass of water and stood. “Excuse me, I’m gonna put more ice in my drink.” Before anyone could protest, Maggie turned and walked into the kitchen. Marco blinked. _Did she just...kick him under the table?_ Marco cast a grateful glance in Maggie’s direction. Although this was definitely one of the worst dinner conversations to happen when Jean was over- the most awkward, anyway- Marco was happy that he could count on his sister to save him from the most intense of awkward moments, like the one Jean nearly dragged him into. He huffed a sigh of relief and lifted some noodles to his lips.

The rest of dinner was quiet, save for Jean’s repeated babbling about Mikasa and the G rated version of his plans for homecoming night with her. Finally, after everyone was finished with their plates, Marco’s mother and Maggie gathered everything up to wash the dishes and the boys returned to Marco’s room, intent this time on finishing their algebra.  
  
 ****

A squared plus B squared equals C squared. Negative B added or subtracted to the square root of B squared subtracted by four times A times C over two times A equals X. Sine equals opposite over hypotenuse. Cosine equals adjacent over hypotenuse. Tangent equals opposite over adjacent. Marco was starting to go dizzy with numbers and equations, but within an hour, they had all their math done. He was exhausted. Marco slumped back on his bed and looked up through hazy eyes at the bright light on his ceiling. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes. Jean climbed on top of him, blocking the light. “Tired?”

“Mhmm…” he mumbled absently. Jean lightly ran his fingers through Marco’s hair and rubbed his ear softly. Marco opened his eyes. Holy fucking shit. Jean had the most beautiful little smile on his face Marco had ever seen. Unconsciously, he made another soft noise.

“Wanna sleep?” Jean asked, his voice a little softer. He leaned in close and gently touched noses with Marco. Marco could feel his cheeks start to go a little red. He tried to mumble ‘no’, but nothing came out. “Marco...Do you wanna sleep?...Sleep?”

“Dude, are you _asleep_?!”

Marco’s head shot up. The light hurt his eyes. “Whuh…?” His mouth was gummed up from sleep, preventing him from forming complete words. He wasn’t on his bed anymore. He was sitting next to it, beside Jean, math notes scattered around them. He groaned. “Did we finish…?”

“Fuck no. And you drooled on me.”

Marco groaned again and slumped against Jean. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“I know, I know. But we’ve only been at it for an hour. We seriously need to finish this.” Surprising even himself, Jean was actually starting to sound responsible.

Marco giggled a little. “Maybe you’re getting sleepy, too.”

“Yeah, maybe. Ugh. Why is trig even a thing? Why do we need it?”

Marco lifted his head and whispered in Jean’s ear. “We don’t.”

Jean snorted and looked over at Marco. “You’re so…” He paused, looking for the right word. What was the right word? _Awesome? No. Funny? Closer. Cute? No, he’s a guy. And my best friend. It’d be sorta...gay...to call him cute, wouldn’t it? It seems gay. Weird. But it's the right word. I mean, it wouldn’t be weird to call him cute in a friend way. Friends call each other cute all the time, so it’s fine. Marco’s being cute. But I can’t say that out loud._ Jean let the sentence trail off. Luckily, Marco didn’t seem to mind. He was already gazing longingly at his fluffy pillows and soft blankets, looking lost in his own thoughts. Marco’s cheeks were a little red, Jean noticed. But before he could point it out, Marco moved.

The freckled boy crawled limply onto his bed. “Ughh...Let me dream again...We’ll finish tomorrowww…”

Jean sighed, his  focus going back to their almost forgotten math. “Marco.”

“Tomooorrrooowwwww.”

“Marc-”

“Morrooowwwwwwwwwwwww.”

Jean rolled his eyes and stood from his spot with a grunt. “Fine, fine. I’m tired, anyway. But we better finish tomorrow. I can’t do it without you.” Marco mumbled an incoherent affirmation as Jean turned off the bedroom light and crawled into bed next to him, giving a big yawn. “Aahhgh...G’night, Marco.”

“Night,” marco replied.

They both laid there for a minute, quiet, slipping slightly into unconsciousness. Marco wanted to fall asleep again. He desperately wanted to. In the moment that he’d looked back at his bed, he remembered dreaming about Jean. That was the first romantic dream he’d ever had of Jean, and he was determined to keep it going. He refrained from dwelling on how pathetic it was that he wanted such a fantasy so badly, but how could he not? For just a second, his feelings felt a little bit reciprocated. At the very least, acknowledged. Jean’s hand felt real. The tip of his nose felt real. His soft, sweet voice seemed real. Marco opened his eyes. “...Jean?”

Silence.

After a moment of hesitation, Marco scooted a little closer. “Jean?” he asked, a little louder.

Again, silence.

He waited just a moment longer, then scooted closer again. Marco scooted and scooted, inch by inch, until the tip of his nose lightly touched Jean’s. Jean didn’t move, except to softly inhale and exhale. He was already asleep. Marco licked his lips nervously. Dare he go further? Dare he even allow the idea he wanted to have enter his mind? He was cautious again, and scooted the tiniest bit closer. He could feel Jean’s body heat, he was so close. He wanted to kiss Jean. Just a little bit. But what if Jean woke up? What if he was grossed out? Then again, what if Jean didn’t wake up? If Marco tried anything, would that make him a bad person? But when would he have this chance again? This was turning into an inner war with himself. Luckily, the war didn’t last long. _If I kiss him just this once, then maybe I’ll be able to get some closure about my feelings for him_ , he reasoned.

Marco kept his eyes on Jean’s face as he warily closed the distance between them. Very softly, their lips pressed together, and Marco melted. His heart started pounding hard in his ears. He stopped breathing. He was kissing Jean Kirschtein. He was kissing _Jean Kirschtein_. Just then, Jean stirred. He made a soft noise and pursed his lips, kissing Marco back. Marco went completely stiff. “Mmnh...C’mon,” Jean mumbled. _What? Is he awake? Oh my God, I screwed up. I totally screw-_ His frightened thoughts were cut off by another noise Jean made. He started kissing Marco again and rendered all coherent thinking impossible. All that Marco could mentally articulate was how soft Jean’s lips were. How good he was at moving them. How fucking good he smelled. Jean started mumbling again. “Mmm...Kasa...You’re good…”

...Mikasa. Of course. Jean really was asleep. He thought he was kissing Mikasa. Marco slowly pulled his head back and blinked a few times, trying to keep his tears at bay. His lips quivered softly. He should’ve known there was no chance Jean would like him. Hell, he already knew. He was so stupid. He couldn’t handle it now. He scooted again, as carefully and quietly as possible, but away from Jean. He turned on his other side and dropped one foot to the floor. Then the other. Somehow, in the next second, he was sitting up. It was at that moment that Marco realised he had a semi-hard dick on top of all his problems. His hands curled up into tight fists. His tears spilled over. _Seriously? Seriously?? What am I doing? Who am I kidding? I can’t believe I...I’m so stupid. Why did I even let myself think he’d like me? Jean is straight. Straight. He is my straight best friend. He’s liked Mikasa since the second grade. Mikasa. A girl._

_A girl._

Marco clamped his mouth shut. The last thing he wanted was to let Jean hear him sob. He didn’t want to ruin anything else by disturbing Jean’s sleep.  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so fucking....ugh. Sorry it's taken so long, sorry it's rushed, sorry it's shitty. I have a job at McDonald's now which totally demolishes my free time. Thanks for sticking with me through this, guys. You're all amazing. Leave a comment or some Kudos if you like this chapter. Or should I say, if you like emotional torture.


	14. Check Please

It was nearing midnight at Legion. Eren sat at his usual table, sipping a beer as discreetly as he could, watching Levi sing. Chimera was playing a song Eren didn’t recognize, but Levi still looked- and sounded- amazing up on that stage, as usual. Eren wished he could be up there with him, just to watch from a closer view.

Once Levi and the rest of the band stepped off the stage, Eren downed the last of his drink and bounded over to see them step out onto the floor. “Hey,” Eren greeted, grinning at Levi. “You were great up there. Like, _really_ great.”

“Thanks,” Levi replied breathlessly, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. “I’m going to the bathroom, wait for me out here.” Eren nodded. He really wanted to kiss Levi before he walked away, but he knew Levi wouldn’t want to get his sweat on anything. Even sweaty, Levi was beautiful. He watched Levi weave through the people to the bathroom and didn’t look away, even when the door was closed behind him.

Suddenly, a hand waved in front of Eren’s face. He turned and saw Petra smiling sweetly at him, and the other three standing right behind her. “Hey, Eren. It’s good to see you again, how are you?”

Eren bit his lip, embarrassed that he hadn’t even noticed the rest of them there until that moment. “Hey, I’m doing great. You guys were really amazing up there. I don’t think I can get over how cool it is that you guys can play all that stuff,” he said. Auruo scoffed.

“It’s not a big deal, kid. Playing any instrument is easy as pie. If you’re gifted enough to have the talent, that is.” The man smirked a little and glanced at Petra, as if looking for approval. She rolled her eyes.

“Anyways, we’re all going out for dinner as soon as Levi gets back. We always go out to eat after we play a gig. You should totally come,” she offered, taking Eren’s hand in hers. “Not to be intimidating, but me and the guys are practically Levi’s family. We gotta see if you’re worthy of our little bat boy’s affections~.”

“I told you not to call me that,” Levi growled. Eren jumped at the suddenness of his presence, then blinked in surprise. Levi had a different band shirt on, dark red instead of black. His makeup looked touched up, and he even looked like he had just combed his hair. He was perfect, even as he glared daggers up at Petra.

She sighed heavily. “You can’t be Goth and not have Gothy nicknames, Levi. Bat Boy, Mister Masochist, Skull Crusher, Graveyard Ghoul, Dark Wolf. Just embrace it, man.”

Levi blinked up at her, his expression unimpressed. “Well, contrary to popular belief, I’m not a tacky piece of shit. Or twelve. Are you guys ready to go, or not?”

“It’s cool if Eren comes, right?” Erd chimed in, adjusting the guitar strap that rested on his shoulder.

Levi raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Eren. “Do you _want_ to come with us?” he asked.

The rest of them looked at Eren, waiting for an answer. “Oh, uh, yeah! Of course! Only if you want me to come, though. You don’t have to buy me any food.”

Levi was quiet for a minute. Jesus, Eren was cute. It was nice to think that way about someone so openly for once. “Shut up, I’m buying you dinner. Let’s get out of here,” he urged, gesturing to the front door of the bar with a tilt of his head. The six of them exited Legion and headed down the dimly lit sidewalk together. Auruo carefully slid his jacket off as he held his keytar and draped it over Petra’s shoulders. Giggling happily, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“So, where do you guys wanna go?” Gunther asked, lazily twirling his drumsticks between his fingers. “I dunno about all of you, but I could go for Chinese.”

Erd made a _mmm_ sound of satisfaction. “Sounds good to me. It’s been forever since I had Har Gau and Lychee. I say we go to Shun Lee Palace!”

“Hell yeah,” Auruo and Petra agreed in unison. They both laughed and pressed even closer together as they walked. Eren looked at them longingly.

Levi shrugged. “I don’t have a problem with it. Eren?”

“Huh? Oh, I’ve never had Chinese food before,” he said. “Can I use a wipe and hold your hand?”

Levi’s lip twitched upward a little. He pulled out his wallet and handed one of his alcohol wipes to Eren, who quickly cleaned off both of his hands before linking fingers with Levi.

“Thank you,” he murmured, squeezing. Levi looked away. His face was starting to heat up. The group stopped at a line of four cars parked on the side of the street. Levi’s black mercedes was the only one Eren recognized, but the others were far too flashy to belong to anyone who lived around the area. An orange mustang. A dark blue El Camino. A green Jaguar. Eren was floored. “Woah.”

Petra opened the back door to the mustang and lifted her guitar strap off her shoulder. “Cool, huh? I made them match~.” She said, holding her orange guitar next to the vehicle for emphasis. Then she carefully rested her guitar across the backseat and Auruo climbed into the passenger side. Erd stepped into the El Camino and Gunther into the Jaguar. Levi opened up the passenger door of his own car and waited patiently until Eren looked at him again.

“You getting in, or what?”

Eren’s heart fluttered a little. Levi was actually holding the door open for him. He couldn’t help but grin as he climbed in.

The four cars drove in a neat line, Erd in the lead, with Petra and Auruo behind him, then Gunther behind Levi and Eren. Eren happily kept his hand secure around Levi’s, his eyes darting from the road in front of him to Levi’s face, back and forth, back and forth. Finally, Levi looked back at him. “Did someone make you snort something while I wasn’t watching? You’re looking all over the place like you’re tripping on something.”

Eren blinked, then shyly looked forward again. He kept his eyes trained on Petra’s license plate. “Sorry. I’m just really excited, that’s all. And nervous. But I’m really happy that I get to spend more time with you. I gotta admit, this is a lot better than just watching you while you work,” he replied, snatching a quick glance at Levi again. His expression was softer, now.

Eren was too cute. He was too fucking cute. The cuteness Eren possessed would kill Levi, he was sure. He suppressed a smile, biting at his lip ring for a second before responding. “Well, I’m glad I can make you happy, then. I like this better than you just watching me, too. You make me too damn nervous to wipe the sweat off me while I’m up there, so I pretty much die a little on the inside until we get off stage.”

At that, Eren’s eyes went wide. “I make you nervous? Really? _Me_?” He grinned widely at Levi, feeling more victorious than he’d ever felt before in his life. _At least I’m not the only one who gets all flustered. God, he’s cute. I wish I could tell when I do stuff like that to him_ , Eren thought, determined now to find a chink in Levi’s proverbial armor. Something that would tell him right away if he was making Levi feel nervous or excited, or even embarrassed, if he was lucky.

Levi could feel Eren’s eyes boring into him. He bit at his lip ring again, then let out a low sigh of relief. “Oh look, we’re here. Let’s get inside,” he urged, parking in front of the doors to Shun Lee Palace. Levi let go of Eren’s hand and climbed out of the car, Eren following suit. After the rest of them parked and gathered again, Levi quietly replaced his hand in Eren’s and followed them inside. Gunther held the door open for them so that Levi wouldn’t have to touch it.

“Ní hǎo! Welcome to Shun Lee Palace, how many are we serving tonight?” A sweet faced Chinese woman greeted. She was wearing her hair up in a single bun with jeweled sticks through the middle of it. And Eren had only ever seen the sort of dress she wore in some of Mikasa’s family’s old photo albums. This place was the real deal.

“Six, please,” Auruo said, wrapping his arm around Petra’s waist.

The woman smiled and picked up six menus from a little rack behind her. “Wonderful, please follow me. One of our big booths just opened up,” she replied, leading them along through the restaurant.

********

Once they were all seated on the dark red, cushiony seats, the woman handed out the menus. “Can I start you off with something to drink?”

“I’ll take a strawberry daiquiri,” Petra said, smiling sweetly up at her.

Erd pondered for a moment. “I think I’ll just go for some green tea tonight,” he decided.

“I’ll have the same,” Auruo agreed.

“Gimme a Jack and coke,” Gunther followed.

When the woman looked at Eren, he scrambled to look at the menu. “Oh, uh, I guess I’ll have-”

“A pepsi,” Levi cut in. “And I’ll have one, too.”

The woman nodded and wrote it all down. “I’ll be right back with your drinks,” she said, leaving with a bow.

Eren frowned at Levi. “Are you really not going to let me have any alcohol?”

“Nope. You’re sixteen, and I can smell the beer on your breath,” Levi replied, lazily meeting his gaze.

Eren pouted.

“Awh, don’t be mean to the poor kid, Levi! You’re making him all sad,” Hanji said, sliding into the booth next to him. She looked at Eren and grinned. “Hi, there. I’m Hanji. You’re hotter than I expected, why would you settle for a grumpy little guy like Levi?” She jabbed a thumb in Levi’s direction, but quickly pulled it back to avoid his harsh bite at it.

Blinking in surprise, Eren looked from Levi to Hanji, then back again. _She called me...hot._ His eyebrows knit together in confusion, until he realized she was actually waiting for an answer. “Oh. Uh, well...He’s nicer than you think,” he began, glancing at Levi tentatively. His grey eyes were piercing into him, too. Eren’s face started feeling hot. “A- And he’s really sweet, in his own way. And funny. And I just really like the way I feel when I’m around him.” Eren looked down, too embarrassed to look at either of them anymore.

“Oh my God, seriously? And you’re _blushing_! Oh, Levi, you _have_ to keep him,” Hanji declared, nudging him with her elbow.

Petra looked over Eren’s shoulder and snorted. “Awhh, Levi’s blushing, too~,” she said, patting Eren’s arm. “See? You’re making him blush, Eren. He must like you a lot.”

Levi glared daggers at Petra. Eren looked up at him again, and saw that his pale cheeks were flushed a little. Eren’s heart fluttered. “Do you live to embarrass me?” Levi growled.

Petra frowned. “Of course not. But I _do_ love seeing how cute you two are together. I don’t think I’ve seen you so smitten before.”

Eren kept looking at Levi, studying his reaction. He looked like he was getting mad. Eren took a deep breath, gently took Levi’s hand, and looked at Petra. “You guys should tell me about yourselves. I’d really like to know more about you,” he said. _Maybe this’ll distract them. I hope it does, at least,_ Eren thought.

“Finally,” Auruo sighed, slapping down his menu. “I knew you’d want to know more about my greatness once you saw me, but I never thought it would take you so long to ask.” There was a soft collective groan amongst the others, but that didn’t deter Auruo. “For starters, I got this band together in high school. We played in all the talent shows and kicked ass. Now, we’re rockstars. And I have the best girlfriend anybody could ask for.” He wrapped his arm around Petra’s waist again and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You impressed yet, kid?”

Erd snorted. “Quit being so obnoxious, man. Give us all a chance to tell Eren what he actually wants to know.” He looked at Eren and smiled, extending his hand across the table. Eren quickly raised his own, shaking it. “Hi, Eren. My name is Erd Gin, I’m an Aquarius, and my favorite food is salmon. When I don’t play gigs with these guys, I work in carpentry. I don’t have a significant other, and I don’t really need one. I guess I consider myself aromantic, because I don’t really feel that sort of attraction. I’ve got lots of friends, though.”

“That’s really nice,” Eren noted, giving him a smile.

“My turn!” Petra said, taking Eren’s hand. “I’m Petra Ral. I’m twenty two and I can play the guitar, violin, flute, harmonica, and the trumpet. My favorite color is orange, and I love nature. I guess you could call me a bit of a tree hugger.” She smiled. “I’m pagan, my zodiac is Sagittarius, and I’m pansexual. If you ever need any advice or help with anything, I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

“Yeah, she might seem like a giddy little schoolgirl now, but once you get to know her, she’s total mama bear,” Hanji cut in.

Gunther stretched his hand across the table as Erd did, and Eren shook it without hesitation. “My name Is Gunther Shultz. I’m straight, an atheist, and I have a very unhealthy love for fried chicken. If you’re ever in a bind, feel free to ask me for help, too. That’s all I got.”

Eren nodded affirmatively.

“And last, but most certainly not least,” Hanji began, “Me~” She rested her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, smiling at Eren. “I’m the manager of this here band, I’ve been married for five years, and I’m genderfluid. I have a vagina, and I just happened to wake up feeling like a woman today. Oh, and starting next month, I’ll be teaching Chemistry at Shiganshina High school. Managing a band is pretty awesome, but science is my real passion,” she gushed.

“Did you just say Shiganshina High school?” Eren repeated.

She nodded. “Yessiree bob, that’s the place.”

“Holy shit, that’s my school.”

“Woah, seriously? That’s great, that means I’ll get to know what you’re like when you’re around your friends instead of Levi. I’ll be sure to give you weekly reports, buddy.” She patted Levi’s shoulder.

“What Eren does in his spare time isn’t my business unless he wants it to be,” Levi replied monotonously. He just seemed tired, now. Eren squeezed his hand.

Hanji was unfazed. “Either way, we’ll be doing science together, which is great. I just hope Levi doesn’t get jealous of our...Chemistry.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and laughed at her own pun.

“Booo,” Erd called out. Gunther and Auruo gave a simultaneous thumbs down.

Eren snorted and broke into a wide smile. Levi’s heart thumped extra hard at that. “You all are really great. It’s good to meet all of you. Officially, I mean,” Eren said.

“Hey hey hey, don’t think you’re done with introductions, yet. We still need yours, Eren,” Hanji pressed.

Levi squeezed Eren’s hand, making his heart go all fluttery again. “Don’t pressure him.”

“Nah, it’s alright. I don’t mind. I want to prove that I’m worthy of you anyways,” Eren replied shyly.

Levi rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to prove anything.”

“Yeah, you’ve captured his heart already~” Hanji said, smiling dreamily and fluttering her eyelashes. Levi glared at her.

“Well? Don’t keep us waiting, Eren. We’d all like to know more about you,” Petra said.

Eren laughed a little and rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of where to start. “Well...My name is Eren Jaeger, I’m a junior in high school. I don’t know my zodiac, but my birthday is March thirtieth. You guys met my sister, Mikasa. My best friend’s name is Armin, and he’s the smartest, nicest person I know. Oh, and my mortal enemy is a horse.”

“A horse?” Levi asked, narrowing his eyes.

“He _looks_ like a horse, I mean. And he’s a complete douche and we get into fights almost every day. He’s the reason I get in trouble all the time. I actually got suspended last week for breaking his nose and giving him a black eye.”

“Damn, kid. You sound just like Levi when he was in high school,” Auruo said. “Not that he had any one mortal enemy, but he did bust a few caps back in the day.”

“Mine included,” Erd added, smiling bashfully. “I was sort of a shitty kid before I became friends with these guys.”

Levi leaned back against the rubbery cushion and crossed his arms. “Tch. I just don’t take bullshit from anyone. People should know better than to provoke me.”

“Yes, we know.” Hanji wrapped her arm around his shoulders and raised her fist to the air. “If anyone harasses those who are smaller, weaker, defenseless, or innocent will face the wrath of the Mighty Levi Ackerman! Oh, and also if people get in his face and piss him off, _they_ will face the wrath of the Mighty Levi Ackerman!”

Levi groaned. Just then, the kind Chinese woman returned with a tray of drinks. She set each of them down with a smile and six straws, then smiled sweetly at Hanji. “Excuse me, miss. Would you like a drink this evening?” she asked.

“I’ll take your finest glass of H2O, please~” Hanji replied, lowering her arm.

“Don’t be pretentious, just say water,” Levi grumbled.

“Yes, I’ll bring it right out. Is anyone ready to order?” The woman pulled out a small notepad with a dragon design on the front and a pen out of a pocket in her dress.

“I’ll take the har gau and lychee,” Erd said, pulling his tea close and blowing on the steam rising from it.

Petra made a soft sound of contemplation. “I think I’ll just have some shrimp fried rice, please,” she decided.

The woman nodded and wrote down their orders, then looked to the rest of them.

“I’d like to try your egg drop soup,” said Gunther, pushing his menu away decidedly.

Auruo stared at his menu for a moment longer. Eren quickly picked up his own menu and scanned everything on it. He had no idea what anything was, or at least what was in them, unless the dish’s name had an ingredient. _Egg rolls...Rolled up eggs…? What?! What the hell is malatang?!_ He looked at Levi helplessly as Auruo ordered something called lomo saltado.

Levi leaned towards Eren’s menu and gave it a quick onceover. “Do you like chicken?”

Eren nodded, trying to find what Levi was looking at. “Oh, yeah, I like it a lot...”

“We’ll both take the kung pao chicken, then,” Levi ordered, sitting back again. He glanced at Eren. He looked a little scared. Levi gently nudged Eren’s side with his elbow and held his gaze. “Don’t worry. You’ll like it. And if you don’t, we can just get you something else,” he murmured. Eren’s face tensed a little with worry, but he smiled.

“Thanks, Levi. That makes me feel better,” he whispered back. Levi’s stomach did a little flop. _Why do I like the way he whispers? That’s weird. Really weird. What do I even like about it? Ugh. I need to stop thinking about everything he does. He’s affecting me way too much._ Levi gave a single nod and looked away.

“I’ll take the congee, if you don’t mind,” Hanji said, gathering up the menus and handing them to the woman.

She smiled again, sincerely, and held the menus under her arm as she finished writing down the orders. “Thank you all. Please, enjoy yourselves and feel free to ask for refills in your drinks. I’ll return soon with your water and your meals will be out shortly.” Again, with a soft bow, she left.

“Hey Levi, why don’t you sit closer to Eren? Or hold his hand again, or do _something_?” Petra asked.

Levi took a deep breath. “Because it makes me really fucking uncomfortable to have my public affections examined by idiots I have to spend every day with. Can we talk about something that isn’t Eren and me?”

Petra frowned. “Come on, Levi, please? You guys are the most interesting thing at this table. Besides, there’s nothing else to really talk about. All we usually do is discuss boring practices and new songs to try. This is much more engaging,” she argued.

Before Levi could reply, Eren leapt in with “Why don’t we talk about music? Not band stuff, maybe just songs we all like. Or maybe singers, or genres…?” Fuck, what was he thinking? That was about as dumb as asking a dog trainer their favorite animal. But he had no idea how else to get rid of the growingly tense atmosphere.

“Oh, well, I guess that’s a good idea. What’s your favorite song, Eren?” Petra asked.

Eren blinked. He tried to remember what he liked. He definitely couldn’t say ‘Don’t Drop That Durka Durk’ or ‘Jizz In My Pants’. For a second, he wondered if he should rethink the sort of music he and Armin decided to listen to when they hung out. But then he focused again, staying quiet for a long moment before he decided. “Carry on my Wayward Son.”

Gunther nodded in approval.

“Good choice,” Erd added.

“What about your favorite band?” Petra pressed.

Eren smiled. “Well, right now, I guess it’s you guys,” he admitted.

“Awh,” Hanji cooed. “Hey, Eren, question. Which one of your parents has green eyes? I bet it’s your mom, right? I have a theory that it’s the mothers that give their children the most vibrant colored eyes, and yours are very, _very_ vibrant.”

Eren looked at Hanji, caught off guard by the sudden strange question. “Oh, well, thank you. Actually, neither of my parents’ eyes look like mine do. My mom has brown eyes and my dad’s are dark green,” he replied.

“Mhm. Are they both tall?” she asked.

“...Yeah? Why?”

“Tall people are more likely to have tall children. And, at least sitting down, you look taller than Levi. But I guess everybody’s taller than Levi, huh?” Hanji let out a sudden _oof!_ as Levi elbowed her side hard. “Ack, you don’t need to be mean,” she grunted, rubbing her side.  

“Do you have any other siblings besides your sister?” Erd asked.

Eren looked to him, shaking his head. “No, I’m an only child. I mean, Mikasa isn’t even my sister by blood. My parents adopted her when we were really young.”

“Oh, so that’s why she looked so different. I thought it was strange that a white kid’s sister is an asian girl,” Auruo mentioned.

Petra nudged him harshly. “Auruo, don’t be rude,” she hissed. Looking back at Eren, she smiled. “So, do you know much about Mikasa’s old family?”

Eren shrugged. “Her parents died before my parents adopted her. All I really know is that most of her relatives live in Japan and my dad delivered insulin to her mom a few times before they died. I didn’t know Mikasa back then, but my dad did some house calls for them and gave her checkups and stuff.” He looked down a little, unable to help but remember when he and his father found Mikasa’s parents’ mutilated bodies. He swallowed hard, nearly losing his appetite.

Levi’s eyes were glued to Eren’s face. Petra gasped softly. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you talk about anything bad. I’m so sorry, Eren.”

He shrugged again, this time, looking drained of emotion. Levi grabbed Eren’s hand and glared at Hanji. “Move,” he ordered sternly. The tone in his voice told her that he wasn’t playing around. She quickly stood and scooted in at the other end of the booth, next to Gunther. Levi pulled Eren out of the booth and silently marched through the restaurant, weaving through waiters and waitresses and people getting up to leave or to be seated. Levi found the bathroom and pulled Eren inside. Then he turned to him with a soft, serious expression. “Do you want to go somewhere else?”

Eren tilted his head in sheer, utter confusion. “What do you mean?”

Levi looked down at Eren’s hand, squeezing it softly as he carefully thought of how to word what he would say and how to make his voice less rigid. “Those guys...They want to know what you’re like. They’re trying to be friendly, but they suck ass at it. There’s a reason we’re all the only friends we’ve got. It’s just…” Why was it so hard to say things the right way? To not make it seem like he was boiling with frustration on the inside, and had some weird, primal feeling of protection over Eren, even from his own best friends? The feelings Levi was experiencing were coming on far too strong and far too fast, but there wasn’t anything he could do to stop it. He took a deep, slow breath. “I don’t want them to upset you anymore. I know they’re not trying to, but. Ugh. Would you be more comfortable if we went somewhere else?”

Eren could feel his heart start to pulse faster and faster. His stomach went floppy and his face started getting hot. _He’s so sweet_ , Eren thought. _I can’t believe he’s actually making sure I’m okay._ Unthinkingly, he raised his hand and clutched his chest. “I...Well, if it’s okay with you…”

“Of course it is,” Levi breathed.

Eren’s face got hotter. “I’ll follow you anywhere,” he blurted.

Levi snorted and cracked a smirk. “Don’t be so cheesy, you little puppy. Let’s go.” With that, Levi pulled his sleeve down over his hand and pulled the door open, pulling Eren through and leading him back to the table. Everyone was seated quietly, sipping at their drinks and picking up bits of food with chopsticks. They all looked somewhat ashamed of themselves. Eren and Levi’s plates of food were steaming at the spots where they were once seated.

“Can I get you gentlemen anything?” a passing waitress asked, cradling a tray full of dishes in her hand.

“Two to-go boxes, please,” Levi asked. She nodded and smiled, continuing on her way. Hanji and Erd glanced up at Levi. He looked back at them with a sharp glare, but spoke to everyone. “Eren and I are leaving. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t bother me until I come to practice tomorrow.” Petra nodded solemnly, Erd muttered a ‘gotcha’, Hanji gave a quick thumbs up, Auruo glanced up at Levi, and Gunther slurped on his soup.

When the waitress returned with the boxes, Levi let go of Eren’s hand so he could swiftly dump both plates into each of their containers. He picked up two sets of chopsticks and set them on top of the boxes. “Let’s get out of here,” Levi said, gently nudging Eren with his elbow. Eren nodded and followed behind Levi as they made their way back to the front, only then quickly stepping in front of him so he could open the door for Levi.

When they stepped outside, a cold gust of wind rushed through the air. Levi shivered. “Is there anywhere particular you want to go?” he asked, unlocking the car doors with a beep beep and stepping inside.

Eren climbed into the passenger’s seat and fastened his seatbelt as Levi set the food in his lap and started up the car. “I don’t really care where we go, to be honest. I just like being with you,” he admitted, looking visibly more relieved and most definitely more relaxed since they were alone.

Levi tapped bis black fingernails against the steering wheel, thinking. He didn’t want to say the first place that came to his mind. That place was far too personal and private. Nonetheless, “Let’s go to my place,” came out of his mouth. “Just to eat. Then I’ll drive you home. Isn’t it a school night?”

Eren’s eyes went wide at Levi’s offer, but he grimaced at the cruel reminder of school. “I would love to see where you live. I already finished all my homework, and I’m used to staying up late anyways. It’s kind of a bad habit, but I used to stay up to be with my mom in case she needed anything, ever since she first came home from the hospital,” he explained.

Levi pulled out of the parking lot, biting absently at his lip ring. “...Alright. I guess it’s not that late anyways. I’ll make sure you’re home by three thirty, got it?” Eren nodded eagerly. Levi drove toward Sina and turned on the radio, softly tapping his finger to the beat as I Am Machine began it’s second runthrough of the chorus.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Auruo, are we bad people?” Petra asked.

He rubbed his hand over her back and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “No, I think we just intimidated the kid, that’s all. And naturally, Levi’s pissed about it. He’ll come around, deep down he knows you didn’t mean any harm by it.”

“Yeah, it’s not your fault. I provoked Levi, anyway. He’s obviously used to our teasing by now, but I guess having Eren here made it a lot more embarrassing than usual. He usually brushes it all off. I guess he really likes Eren, huh?” Hanji asked.

“Looks like it,” Gunther answered.

Erd laid down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth with a napkin, finished with his food. “What I don’t get is _why_ he likes Eren, though. I mean, after all of us, it’s sort of a surprise he’d be interested in someone like Eren.”

“It’s not like we dated or anything, Erd,” Petra reminded. “We were all just drunk and high and weirdly horny. I don’t think anybody in the entire universe spent their spring break the way we did.”

Hanji snorted. “You make it sound like an orgy or something. I’m just glad I got through you losers without feeling anything special. Ah, then I found my precious Moblit. The first time I banged him, I just _knew_ he was the one~!” She giggled and held her cheeks as they grew rosy.

Auruo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, we’ve all heard the story. Locked in the science lab after graduation, couldn’t control your urges, knocked over about sixty test tubes during a moment of fiery passion, cuddled with an anatomical model afterwards, blablablah.”

“Pft. I’m glad you got it memorized. It’s such a beautiful story, isn’t it? One to be told for generations,” Hanji gushed.

“Whatever you say,” Erd muttered. “....Eren’s pretty lucky, I guess. As far as I know, Levi only dated a couple people in high school, but dumped them both. I suppose Eren’s got something Levi likes that do one else does.”

They all went quiet for a moment, pondering the idea. “Do you think Levi’s gonna change? I mean, Eren seems really sweet. What if Levi, you know, softens up a bit after dating him a while? It’s bound to happen, there’s no way he can keep being a cold hard rock to everybody if he can be nice to Eren,” Petra thought aloud.

“Who knows?” Auruo yawned. Their waitress walked by with drinks for another table. Auruo lifted his hand to catch her attention. “Let’s forget about it, guys. Whatever happens is gonna happen. We’re his friends, so it’s our job to stick with him and support him, got it? Check, please!”

********  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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	15. Dinner and a Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> woo more back stories

It was about one forty AM by the time Levi’s Mercedes pulled to a stop in a driveway at the heart of the city of Sina. Eren looked up at the house before him, unable to believe what he was seeing. The front wall of the second floor was nothing but glass. The house itself was grey, but square-ish and very modern looking. And very, very expensive looking. Even the garage in front of him looked fancy and modern. The lawn was clean cut, and the walkway looked like solid concrete. There was no porch, but the front of the house was overshadowed by a solid grey canopy. Although the only light the house gave off was that of a light outside next to the front door, the entire place was lit up by surrounding homes and businesses. The Sina Hospital was visible behind Levi’s house. The City’s library was a few blocks to the left, and the museum was about half a mile to the right. There was no way in Hell Levi could’ve gotten a place like this unless he had money. And a lot of it. And Eren knew it wouldn’t be possible to pay for something like this just by playing songs in a shitty bar on the poor side of Shiganshina. “Oi. If you sit there with your mouth hanging open like that, you’ll start drooling. You coming inside, or what?” Levi asked, snapping Eren out of his daze. He quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car, still gazing up at the place in awe.

Levi stepped out, balancing the boxes in one hand as he locked the car, then shifted the keys in his hand to find the one that belonged to the lock on his front door. He stepped around the front of the car and started up the walkway, Eren following hesitantly behind. “Do you seriously _live_ here?” Eren asked. Levi opened the front door and stepped inside.

“No, the people who actually live here are on vacation and I made a copy of their house key and moved all my stuff in here,” he replied sarcastically. Eren nearly believed him. He followed Levi inside and shut the door behind them, taking the boxes when Levi handed them to him. “Take your shoes off,” he ordered, bending down and unlacing his boots. He set them neatly by two other pairs of boots, one pair with lots of buckles on them, the other pair looking like some form of military boots. The ones Levi had been wearing looked more modest. Eren’s eyes drifted to Levi’s butt. It was a very nice butt. He smiled a tiny bit.

Unfortunately, Levi stood up and grabbed the boxes from Eren. “I’m gonna take these to the dining room. Hurry up.” Eren barely caught what he said, distracted by how adorably short Levi really was. He was at least five or six inches shorter than Eren, which made it absolutely perfect for Eren to kiss his head. But alas, before he could try, Levi turned away and walked down the short hall into the wide living space. Eren quickly pulled off his Converse and ran down the little hall, passing a small black table with a glass vase that held dead roses and a fake spider stuck to the wall. He hoped it was fake, at least. Eren looked at the living room with wide eyes. It was very spacious, with dark wood flooring and a black L- shaped couch wrapping around the middle of the room, one side of it facing the flat-screen on the wall to the right. Inside the L was a glass coffee table with vine-like legs at each corner. There were little cupholders with skull patterns sitting in a neat little stack next to a big black book and a remote for the T.V. on it. Eren wondered if Levi liked books as much as Armin did, but let his eyes continue to wander.There was a stereo against the far wall, with two high shelves of CDs on either side of it, and a tall staircase to the left. To the left of the staircase was an open archway into another room. On the wall to Eren’s immediate right was a tall book shelf with some figurine skulls and bats and a few bottles of hand sanitizer on the middle shelf, and more thick books on the rest of the lower shelves. There was nothing on the shelves that were higher than Eren’s head. He grinned at how Levi-like the place was. And, of course, it was immaculate.

When he looked to the left, Eren found a large kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an island with a dark granite countertop. The counters around the sink and below the cabinets looked like granite, too. The tile on the floor was black. “Hey, get in here before your food gets cold,” Levi called, his voice coming from a room beside the kitchen, the one with the open archway next to the stairs. Eren stepped over to the staircase and peered into the dining room, seeing his and Levi’s to go boxes open on the large dining table. He stepped into the wide room, glancing down at another vase full of dead flowers at the center of the table as he sat down next to Levi.

“Your house is amazing,” he breathed, now enthralled by the black cobweb tablecloth.

Levi smiled softly. It was a lot easier to smile without anybody else around. “Thanks. I’m glad you like it,” he replied, taking up a piece of chicken with his chopsticks and popping it in his mouth.

Eren smiled bashfully and picked up his own chopsticks, staring at Levi’s hand to see how he should hold them. Then he looked at his own hand. He could not hold anything that precisely. “Um...Levi? Can you help me?” he asked softly.

“Huh? Oh, right. You’ve probably never held chopsticks before. Here,” Levi set the sticks down in his box of food and reached out to Eren, but paused for a moment. _Shit. He touched the car door handle. And his shoes. And the restaurant door when we left. Oh, God_. Levi curled his hand into a fist as he hesitated even longer, staring at Eren’s hand.

Eren looked at how concentrated Levi’s face looked, and frowned a little. “Do you want me to wipe my hands…?” he asked, trying to catch Levi’s gaze.

Levi was quiet for another second. “Yes,” he finally said, turning away and yanking out his wallet. He felt so stupid, thinking about just touching Eren like that. It was disgusting. He liked Eren a lot, but it was disgusting. He just couldn’t make the conscious decision to touch Eren’s hands without knowing they were clean. Levi handed Eren the wipe and Eren cleaned off his hands.

Levi let out a sigh of relief and took one of Eren’s chopsticks, placing it carefully between Eren’s thumb and forefinger. Eren couldn’t help but notice how cutely delicate Levi’s hands were. Levi slid the second chopstick between Eren’s thumb and forefinger and held it in place by slightly lowering Eren’s second finger to press against it. Then he held his own chopsticks the same way, picking up a piece of chicken with it. Eren shakily tried to repeat Levi’s actions, but both of the sticks and the chicken slipped from his grip, plopping into the box. He whined a little.

Levi sighed and rolled his eyes, stabbing a piece of Eren’s chicken with one of the fallen chopsticks, holding it to Eren’s lips. “Don’t be a baby. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough,” he promised. Eren tentatively bit the chicken off the stick and chewed, his eyes going wide. It was warm and rich and far more satisfying than any other chicken Eren had tasted before. He swallowed and grinned at Levi.

“That tasted _amazing_!” he gushed, picking up his other chopstick and stabbing more chicken with it. He had trouble avoiding shoving it all into his mouth at once. He tried to remain somewhat polite, only picking up and eating one piece of chicken at a time. He hardly noticed Levi watching him.

Eren looked so incredibly damn cute. His bright eyes lit up to somewhat of a glitter of happiness as he ate, making Levi’s lips twitch into a crooked little smile. He couldn’t help but feel smug knowing that it was his good choice of food that was making Eren so happy. “Do you want something to drink?” he offered softly, not really wanting to interfere with Eren’s newfound amazement with Chinese food.

Swallowing, Eren nodded. “Whatever you have is okay with me. I can just have water,” he replied.

“Well, I have black tea, milk, and coke, too.”

Eren thought for a minute. He really wanted to kiss Levi some more, and he didn’t want his mouth to taste like anything worse than chicken. “Water,” he confirmed, nodding determinedly to himself.

Levi snorted and stood, popping one more piece of chicken into his mouth before heading into the kitchen. Eren watched Levi carefully, waiting patiently until Levi was in the next room. Then, without any restraint, he wolfed down the remaining pieces of chicken, going so far as to lift the box and tip it at his mouth to get every last scrap. Levi returned with two glasses just as Eren closed up his box and wiped his lips with the back of his hand. “You really did like that,” Levi noted.

Eren smiled bashfully and nodded, taking the water as Levi handed it to him. He chugged half the glass and set it down, wiping his mouth again. Levi handed him another alcohol wipe and sipped his drink slowly. Levi began eating again, taking his time, chewing with his mouth closed. Eren blinked at him. _He looks so elegant. And pretty. He’s perfect_ , he thought, absently wiping his hands clean again. “Hey, do you mind if I ask how you got your phobia? Or did you always have it?” he asked.

Levi looked at Eren again, silent. He was still chewing. When he finished, he took another drink. “No, I haven’t always had it. At least, not as bad as I do now. But the story’s embarrassing,” he said, quickly taking another piece of chicken into his mouth to avoid talking about it anymore. It wasn’t something he particularly liked talking about.

Eren frowned a little in disappointment, but scooted his chair closer to Levi’s and took his free hand. “Please? I swear I won’t tell anybody. And I won’t think of you any differently, I promise. I really wanna know.” He put on his best puppydog face, hoping that would convince Levi to tell him.

Levi glanced at Eren again, but did a double take. _Is he fucking pouting? For Cripe’s sake_.

The man stood, picking up his box and Eren’s. “Don’t give me that look. Go wait in the living room while I throw this shit away, then we can watch Netflix. We’ll watch whatever you want.” Levi quickly slid out from between the chairs and went into the kitchen, leaving Eren behind. It wasn’t the most elegant way to avoid the conversation, but it was good enough for him.

He frowned. _Did I say something wrong…?_ Eren wondered, standing and obediently going into the living room. He sat down on the couch, feeling somewhat guilty, and fidgeted a little. He could hear the sink go on in the kitchen for a few moments before Levi came into the room and sat next to Eren, taking up the remote in his slightly damp hand. After turning on the TV, a few clicks brought him to Netflix.

“What do you want to watch?”

Eren glanced from Levi to the screen, unsure of what to say. “Anime…?”

Levi nodded wordlessly and flipped through the options, not really caring which one they watched. Once he selected Death Note, Levi put the remote back on the table and stared at the screen.

Eren had to say something. “Are you okay? I’m really sorry. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything,” he mumbled, wishing he could have thought of something better.

Levi looked over at Eren and gave a soft sigh. He gave the top of Eren’s head a few soft pats of reassurance. “It’s okay. I’m not mad.”

“I’m just really interested, that’s all. You don’t have to tell me, I just really want to know.” Inadvertently, Eren couldn’t hold back his curiosity.

Levi sighed again and gave Eren a hard stare. It was apparent that Eren wouldn’t stop thinking about it, so Levi just gave in. “Fine, fine, whatever, I don’t care. You’d probably find out about it eventually anyways.”

Eren lit up and took Levi’s hand in his, giving him an encouraging smile. “So, what happened?” he asked.

Levi took a deep breath and kept his eyes on the red-haired protagonist. The kid was writing shit in a book way too fucking dramatically, but it helped to keep Levi from actually reliving his memories. “So, I guess since I was little, I never liked slimy stuff or getting dirt under my nails or in my hair. I think that was fairly normal. Then, in high school, not a lot of the jocks really liked me.”

Eren frowned a little, gently squeezing Levi’s hand. “That sucks. Nobody has the right to dislike you just because you’re different,” he said.

“Oh, no. I vandalized their cars and cut up their football uniforms Mean Girls style, so their hatred was completely valid. And before you ask ‘How could you do such a thing?’, They called me a fag and dumped a bucket of water on me in the middle of lunch, so they had it coming,” Levi countered. “Are you gonna let me finish?”

Eren was quiet with surprise, so Levi continued.

“It was my senior year, and I was sneaking out behind the football field to smoke some pot. I still don’t know how they knew I was back there, but they grabbed me and took me into the woods.” Already, it was starting to get hard to talk about. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, gathering strength within himself to keep going. It would be better to just get the story over with. “They beat me up, and made me eat dirt. Literally. They literally fucking poured mud down my throat.” Levi took another deep, somewhat shaky breath, and returned his eyes to the TV. “Then they took all my clothes and knocked me out. I didn’t wake up until one or two in the morning. I was fucking terrified.” Eren squeezed Levi’s hand sympathetically. He had no idea what to say. Nonetheless, Levi pushed on. “When I finally made it home, it took a couple hours to wash everything off and I puked my brains out. Ever since then, I’ve been freaked out by anything I can’t confirm as sterile. I try to deal with most stuff because germy environments are obviously unavoidable, but if I can help it, I’ll make sure everything is clean and I won’t come into contact with anyone’s jizz, blood, mucus, or skin cells. But I’m not gonna lie. No matter how much I clean, I still feel a little bit grubby, like there’s dirt embedded in my skin or something.”

Eren was silent, completely regretting having asked about it. Levi looked sad now, and Eren wanted to fix it. “I’m sorry,” Eren murmured, leaning in and softly kissing Levi’s temple. It didn’t feel like nearly enough. He kissed Levi’s cheek and couldn’t help but take in his wonderful, soapy, flowery scent. “I wanna make you feel better with my mouth,” Eren mumbled absently.

Levi snorted and lifted an eyebrow as he looked at Eren and leaned back slightly. “Make me feel better with your mouth? Really?” he repeated, his voice confused but laced with a chuckle.

Eren’s face went red. “I- I mean kissing! I wanna kiss you, that’s all I want, I didn’t mean- I mean, if you wanted me to-”

Levi pressed his fingertip over Eren’s lips, a ghost of a smile on his face. Eren shut up. “You’re sixteen. I’m twenty-one. Calm yourself,” he replied, lowering his hand and kissing Eren softly. “We’re not doing anything sexual for a while. Like, a _while_. Like, not until your age starts with an eight.”

Eren knew what Levi had meant, but struggled to hold back a smile as he feigned shock. “You’ll only fuck me when I’m _eighty_?!”

Another snort erupted from Levi’s nose and he slapped his hand over his mouth, pressing his other hand to Eren’s chest and pushing him away. “Oh my fucking God, shut _up_ ,” he said, his steely eyes melting into warm, gooey, visible happiness. Eren blinked, having never seen Levi so cheerful before. It made him get all bubbly on the inside, and he smiled wide.

“I love your laugh,” he said, carefully taking Levi’s hand in his own. “I’m glad I can make you laugh.”

Levi squeezed Eren’s hand and took a deep breath, trying to hold back more chuckles. “I just...I imagined you, being eighty years old, but that was it. You just being eighty, and I was my same age, and I just-” He broke into more laughter again before he finally calmed down. “Jesus, my sense of humor is warped as fuck.”

Eren laughed himself, feeling giddy and squeezing Levi’s hand back. “I like your sense of humor, too.” He scooted a little closer, until his hip and thigh brushed against Levi’s. “Do you feel better?”

Without hesitation, Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s neck and kissed him once more. “Much,” he replied. “I think I could get used to someone giving a shit about my feelings.”

Eren smiled, starting to feel a little drunk off the taste of Levi’s lips. He pressed their lips together again, but didn’t want to pull away. He shyly opened his mouth a little, feeling quite surprised and pleased with himself when Levi’s mouth opened with his. _Okay, I got this, I totally fucken got this_. Eren slid his tongue between Levi’s lips and moved it around a little, still unsure of how to do it, but determined to show Levi that he _could_ do it. He lifted one hand and ran it through Levi’s hair, hoping it was the right thing to do since he was far too nervous to try resting his hands on Levi’s waist.

 _Damn, he’s good_ , Levi thought, swirling his tongue easily around Eren’s. As Eren brought his hand up to his hair, Levi mentally rolled his eyes. _Except he has no idea how arms are supposed to work._ Gently, without breaking their kiss, Levi took Eren’s wrist in his hand and set Eren’s palm on his hip. _There_.

A spike of tingles shot up Eren’s spine. _Oh, my God. My hand is on Levi’s hip. Levi put my hand on his hip. He wanted my hand on his hip. Oh, my God._ Practically vibrating with excitement, Eren pressed forward, pushing Levi down on his back and kissing him harder. Levi let out a breathy gasp, which only made Eren dizzier with exhilaration. As Levi ran his fingers over the nape of Eren’s neck, he let out a soft moan.

Levi shivered at the soft sound Eren made. It was so nice. Eren was nice. He felt nice. Being with him felt nice. Levi felt...Something poking him. He brought his hands down to Eren’s chest and pushed him back. “Eren,” he panted.

“Levi,” Eren replied, just as breathlessly.

“No, _Eren_. You’re hard.”

Eren’s expression of excitement faltered slowly. “I...What?” He’d been so caught up in feeling Levi’s warmth and smelling Levi’s beautiful scent and tasting Levi’s perfect lips that he hadn’t even noticed what was going on in his own body. _Oh, my God. Oh. My. God. The penis on my body is practically pressing against the penis on his body. The only barrier between his dick and my dick are scraps of cloth. Our cocks are practically touching. Oh, my God._

Levi swallowed hard. _Why’s he just staring at me? What the fuck, is he frozen or something?_ Levi glanced away, feeling a little embarrassed himself. He tensed when he felt Eren’s boner poke him a little harder. Eren still didn’t move. “ _Dude_!”

Snapping out of his clusterfuck of penis-related thoughts, Eren realized he was practically pinning Levi down with his erection. He jumped back with a yelp, quickly putting his hands over his lap. “Fuck, oh my God, I am so sorry, Levi, I didn’t mean to- I mean, like, I didn’t even really notice until you- Ugh, oh God, I’m so sorry. Please don’t hate me.” Eren was wide-eyed, absolutely panicking.

Levi sat up, regaining some of his composure. _Fucking teenagers,_ he thought. Although the situation had turned completely awkward, Levi couldn’t help but admire the way Eren looked when he was flustered. He patted Eren’s head again and, for what seemed like the umpteenth time, tried his hand at being comforting. “Don’t freak out, okay? I don’t hate you. You think this is the first time I’ve had to deal with awkward boners? A few years ago, I was in your position.” _Just perfect, Levi. Go straight for the ‘when I was your age’ stuff. That’s not creepy at all._

Eren’s tense stance eased a little. “Really? Not that I don’t believe you, It’s just...You seem too cool to get yourself into this sort of thing, I mean,” he replied, his cheeks flushing a soft pink.

Levi scoffed and moved his hand to Eren’s shoulder. “Dude, that’s happened to me a lot. Even after high school. Would another story make you feel less shitty?”

Eren fidgeted, trying to discreetly adjust himself so he’d be more comfortable, but it was damn near impossible. “Uh, yeah, I’d really like that,” he stammered.

Levi blinked at Eren, looking from his slightly scrunched up face to his crotch, then back again. “Hold on, I’ll be right back,” he promised, stretching a little as he stood before he left the room. Eren didn’t care where Levi was going or when he’d get back, he just hoped that his stupid dick would calm down in the mean time.

But, just as he said, Levi was back in the living room. He had a bag of peas in his hand. “Peas…?” Eren asked, completely thrown off by that.

“Put your hands to your sides,” Levi ordered.

Eren was still extremely confused, but did as he was told. “Can you tell me what the peas are fo-” Levi tossed the bag onto Eren’s lap, effectively making his boner shrink to the softness it was meant to be, close to the natural warmth of Eren’s body. But that change didn’t feel too pleasant. Eren let out a yelp and jumped, but was relieved. Levi sat down beside him again.

“Better?”

“Better.”

“Alright, then I’ll begin my story. I was eighteen or nineteen, something like that. The point is that I was still a teenager. Anyways, I was hanging out with my friend, Mike, over at his place. I think I was painting my nails or something, I don’t remember, and he was reading some book that I didn’t give a shit about. Blah blah blah, he looks over at me and just asks if I wanna make out. We weren’t really together or anything, but he had just taken a shower and I was high and pretty much my only thought was ‘By God, I have to take this opportunity’.” Levi struggled not to smile or let a chuckle slip out. “It was so stupid. I swear to God, I blame the weed. I was just really turned on by the fact that he was so _clean_ , I ended up popping a boner. Then he fucking made fun of me, I was so pissed. But it all turned out fine, he helped me get rid of it. Not like I helped you get rid of yours, but…” He let out a tiny laugh and leaned back on the couch cushions.

Eren blushed harder, relieved that Levi really had been in this sort of situation, but also a little jealous of whoever Mike was. “Can we kiss again? I promise, I won’t go overboard again,” he begged, carefully setting the peas on the coffee table. ** ******

Levi leaned over and flicked the tip of Eren’s nose. “The resemblance between you and any puppy is uncanny. Wait until later.” Levi’s tone wasn’t unpleasant, but his voice was stern. Eren pouted, but didn’t make any move to kiss him. Levi was thankful, knowing from personal experience that teenage boners have the seemingly magical ability to pop up again and again, which he did not want to deal with. He scooted close and leaned on Eren a little, returning his eyes to the TV screen. What the hell was that monster thing following that kid around? Levi didn’t get anime at all.

Huffing, Eren glanced at Levi from the corner of his eye. _I can handle it_ , he thought, grumpy that Levi hadn’t given him the chance to prove it. Out of irresistible urge and a little spite, Eren quickly kissed the top of Levi’s head and looked back at the screen. His heart fluttered with excitement when Levi did nothing to protest it, and the fluttering turned into soft hammering when Levi linked arms with him.

 _This brat. With his stupid, handsome face. And his dumb, warm arms_ , Levi thought, going completely still as Eren kissed the top of his head. He could feel his face get hot. _Shit. I really wanna keep him._

A few episodes later, Light Yagami was carefully evading capture from a secret investigator, and Levi noticed it was getting late. The clock on the wall told him it was two fifteen in the morning. While he was used to staying up this late, he wasn’t sure if Eren was. “Hey. Eren,” he whispered, “Are you ready to go home?”

Eren’s eyes snapped open and he blinked the sleepy bleariness from his gaze. “No,” he replied, straightening up. Levi looked up at him and ruffled Eren’s hair affectionately.

“Don’t be a shit. It’s okay if you’re tired, we can just hang out tomorrow,” Levi said.

Eren got tingles just hearing the softness of Levi’s voice. “Can we come back here?” he asked.

Levi raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why here? Aren’t you bored?”

He shook his head. “Not at all. I really like sitting with you. And I really like your house,” Eren murmured, feeling a little bashful at the admission. “...And we have more privacy.”

“Yeah, definitely wouldn’t want your genitals to make a guest appearance when we’re in public,” Levi agreed with a smirk. Eren’s cheeks went red as Levi snickered at him. He hid his face in his hands, his groans of embarrassment muffled by his palms. “Oh, come on, you’ll live,” Levi said, nudging Eren with his elbow. “I’m just kidding around. I promise I won’t make fun of your penis anymore.”

Eren was quiet for a second, then slowly parted his fingers to look at Levi with one suspicious eye. “Really?”

“From the bottom of my heart.” Levi rested his hand over his chest and batted his eyes, successfully making Eren giggle a little. Levi couldn’t help but crack a small smile at that. “Now, come on. I know you’re sleepy. I better get you home before you pass out.” ****

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been taking so long for me to post chapters, please leave comments and kudos if you like this chapter!  
> if you didn't like this chapter, go have some hot chocolate or something


	16. Prozac

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get a glimpse into Levi's life, and his past.

After he dropped Eren off, Levi kissed Eren goodbye and watched him climb up the fire escape and enter the window of his apartment before driving back home. When he made it in the door, Levi lazily kicked off his boots and dropped his keys beside the vase on the small hallway table. He was exhausted, but had things to do, especially since he’d had a guest. The dread slowly began to set in. He had to clean.

Levi yawned, stretched, and stepped into the living room. Among the assortment of hand sanitizers and general small bottles of cleaners on the bookshelf sat a fabric spray. He grabbed it and spritzed it all over the couch, and twice over where he and Eren sat. He replaced the bottle on the shelf and stepped into the kitchen, wetting a washcloth before heading to the dining room to wipe off the chairs they sat in. Then he swept and mopped the floor. None of this was out of the ordinary for Levi, but he sure as Hell wished it was. He thought about how fucked up he was every time he cleaned like this. How he knew that being the way he was was completely ridiculous, and how he couldn’t do anything about it, regardless. He couldn’t get over the slight nausea he felt if he knew something was dirtied in any way. He couldn’t get over the fact that his mental condition controlled him. Levi was just thankful that he’d learned to adapt in public, at least. He knew he wouldn’t be able to handle any more horrified looks from strangers, or people backing away from him, or calling him a freak, or purposely contaminating things just to get to him. Not again.

Nonetheless, he couldn’t hope to stop the prickling sensation of disgust radiating throughout him at the moment. He just couldn’t suppress his habit, his craziness, his fucked up condition- whatever it was called- when he was in his own home. “Fucking nasty…” he muttered, looking down at his feet. His socks were soaked at the bottoms from the mopping, which only soured his mood further. _I shouldn’t do this when I’m tired,_ he thought, bending over and peeling his socks off. He held them together with only his forefinger and thumb, not wanting to touch more than he had to. Of course, he knew he wasn’t dirty, but he was certainly starting to feel that way.

The man padded into the laundry room behind the stairs and threw the socks in the washer, then dumped a hamper half full of other garments in with them, relieved that he had an excuse to immediately start washing it all. Once he got the detergent in and set the timer, Levi went back out into the living room and squirted hand sanitizer into his palm, then climbed up the stairs to his bedroom. He stepped into his bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet, taking out the prozac and shaking out a single pill into his hand. _Maybe I should ask my therapist to double my dose,_ he thought, throwing his head back as he tossed the pill down his throat and swallowed. Once that was done, Levi took out his lip ring, stripped, and turned on the shower, sighing with relief as he stepped into the welcoming warmth of the spray.

Levi stood still as a statue for the next few minutes, letting the water soak him to the bone. The shower was his safe place. The place where he could relax and think and be undeniably sterilized, untroubled, for a moment, by his intense need to clean. He inhaled deeply through his nose, then parted his lips and exhaled slowly. _It’s gonna really suck if Eren ever sees how deep this really goes. The meds. The constant cleaning after touching things. Showering for hours at a time_. _If only I could act as sane in here as I do in public._ Levi sighed. _I definitely need to up my dosage._

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Levi grabbed the soap and scrubbed his entire body ten times over. Wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, rinse. Then he took the shampoo and washed his hair ten times over. Wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, rinse, wash, rinse. He cleaned under his finger and toe nails, grimacing at the chipping black polish on them. After only half an hour, Levi shut off the water and stepped out onto the plush bath mat. He stood still for a few minutes again, thinking of nothing, absently watching water drip from the tips of his hair. After what seemed like an eternity, Levi jumped as the distant sound of the washer’s buzzer went off from downstairs. He forced himself to focus on the laundry and quickly dried himself with the only white towel he had. He’d put it in the hamper once he got downstairs.

\-------------------------------------------------

It was 2012. Sina High was bustling with excitement for the upcoming Prom and whisperings of what the year’s senior prank would be, despite both events being months away. Levi sat in his father’s car, trembling, his eyes wide, staring at the front doors of the school. He did not want to go in there. “Levi,” his father called sternly. Levi didn’t move. “If you don’t get in there and face the people who humiliated you, you’ll be nothing but a disappointment to me. I didn’t raise my son to be a goddamned coward. Now, get out. You’ll make me late for work if you just sit there like a dumbass.”

In the next instant, Levi was inside the building. He didn’t remember getting out of his father’s car or opening the doors to get in. He just stood there, his eyes shooting back and forth around the sea of students walking to their lockers or to class, trying to make sure that there were no football jerseys coming in his direction. Suddenly, Petra’s little strawberry blonde head popped out of the crowd and ran toward him at full speed. Auruo and Hanji were behind her, their eyes lighting up when they saw Levi. They all gathered around him. “What happened?” Hanji asked, worry coming to her eyes.

“Why were you gone last week? I tried to call you and I texted a dozen times. I half thought you were dead, Levi,” Petra said.

Auruo frowned. “Yeah, you really had us worried, what the hell’s up with you?”

Levi was silent for a few seconds before he realized they were waiting for an answer. “I was sick,” he mumbled, his throat dry. He grimaced as the sensation made him question whether there was any dried mud stuck in his throat, and he choked back the urge to gag.

Petra sighed and wrapped Levi in a tight hug. “Oh, thank goodn-” Levi sucked in a sharp gasp and shoved Petra down to the floor.

“Don’t fucking touch me!” he screamed, backing away. People started looking at him.

“Levi, what the Hell?! What’s your problem?” Auruo asked, kneeling to help Petra up.

Hanji was utterly dumbfounded. She reached out hesitantly, but Levi slapped her hand away so hard that she yelped. “I said don’t fucking touch me! Just leave me alone!” he spat, turning away from his friends and running straight to the closest bathroom he could find. Levi pushed his sleeves up to his elbows and squirted the soap into his hand until it was overflowing. He scrubbed his arms, hands, and his entire face over and over again. He rubbed the soap into his skin until it was red all over with irritation and his fingers could hardly flex anymore. He was shaking hard. _Why…? Why does everything feel so disgusting? Why is everything so gross and wrong and revolting to me? Why can’t I get this goddamn mud out of my throat?! It’s still inside me, it’s infecting everything. I’ll die. Fuck, I’m going to die. I drank mud. I fucking drank mud._ This time, Levi couldn’t hold himself back. After one gag, he knew it was over, and burst into a stall to vomit into the toilet. He heaved and choked and couldn’t catch his breath as everything he’d eaten for breakfast spewed violently from his throat. Levi couldn’t stop until nothing but stomach acid came up, mingling with his tears in the toilet as he began to sob uncontrollably. He had gone through this so many times already, why was it happening again? Levi’s stomach was aching, now. After a week of puking, it couldn’t handle any more.

Levi was clutching at the porcelain, and terrified that he was. It didn’t matter that he seemed to have gotten all of the disgusting, foreign substances out from inside of him, now there were germs all over the outside of him again. There was practically shit all over his hands.

He stayed in the bathroom for a long time, still gagging a little at the horrid taste of his own bile. He hadn’t come prepared at all. He had no tooth brush or paste, no hand sanitizer, no gloves, and no way to maintain personal space in the hallways.

After he flushed away the horrible stuff that came out of him, Levi washed his hands and arms and face all over again. Then, as calmly as he could muster with tears still brimming in his eyes and his face all red and raw, Levi walked to the front office and asked for a mint. The lady at the desk didn’t ask any questions, and gave the boy what he wanted.

In the next moment, Levi was walking home. It was lunch time, and he had absolutely no intention of sitting on the germ-infested seats or eating the food that had been touched by questionably washed kitchen utensils. And he didn’t want to have to face his friends after what he did to them. Levi’s heart was racing almost as fast as his mind. He flinched every time a car passed him, terrified that he might be splashed with water. But finally, he made it to the familiar, large, white house he called home. Carefully, Levi pulled his sleeve down over his hand and opened the front door, unwilling to take the chance of having another episode if the handle felt too dirty. He stepped inside as quietly as he could, so as not to alert his mother, and tiptoed up the stairs to the bathroom. For the past six days, Levi spent most of his time in the shower. It was the only place he could feel calm anymore. He practically tripped over his own clothes as he threw them off and jumped into the bath tub, turning the water on as hot as he could stand it. Levi sat under the spray, with his knees curled up to his chest. He had finally stopped shaking.

 _Everything will be okay, mon petit oiseau noir_ , his mother had said. After explaining to his parents what had happened, it was only his mom that seemed to care for his well being. His father just sneered and walked away, muttering something about Levi being a pussy. _The world is a cruel place, Levi. But you will be okay. You are a very strong young man. You’ll heal with time, and before you know it, this incident will be nothing but a memory. I’m here for you. Just be patient, and take a deep breath. You can get through this._

Levi clenched his jaw and dug his nails into his arms. Yes, his mother cared. But she didn’t understand. How could she? She came from a poor life in France to a big, fancy house and cars and a doctor for a husband in America. She had never been traumatized in her life. Not the way Levi was. This wasn’t something he could just shake off. And it wasn’t anything he could wash away. It would never go away, no matter how much time passed, he was sure of that. Nothing could save him from himself.

The next couple of months were a blur. Levi told his friends what happened, and he was happy that they didn’t hate him. Even happier that they respected his personal space. Two times, guys from the football team poured a bucket of dirt and bugs down the back of Levi’s shirt at lunch, promptly causing him to puke his guts out all over the table and scream bloody murder until Auruo could get him to a bathroom and help him get cleaned up. Petra and Hanji could hardly do more than yell at the guys who did it; Levi had downright ordered them to not report anything to the principal or anyone else. He knew that if some of them got in trouble, the rest would come after him and probably do something far worse than they had on that afternoon.

Everyone at school knew Levi’s name by now, and by no means was it because he was getting popular. Everyone aside from his five friends avoided him at all costs. He was isolated in class, in the halls, and even in public. Nobody dared to come near him when he was around, but they had no problem with making fun of him and criticizing him in his presence. Nobody bothered to whisper, either.

“Ew, God. I hope he doesn’t try to come to prom.”

“Yeah, he’d probably just end up puking on everything.”

“What a fucking freak, why doesn’t he just stay home?”

“I sorta feel sorry for him. Somebody should just put him out of his misery already.”

“I think we’d all be better off if that guy just killed himself. He’s freaking everybody out.”

“He’s such a psycho. I heard that he takes whore baths in the boy’s bathroom every day.”

“I heard that he’s got some weird fetish for being clean.”

“Hah. Don’t talk about washing your hands. He’ll probably get a hard-on and jerk off to your yearbook picture!”

“Eugh, he’s so disgusting.”

His head was swimming with their words. He hated everything they had said. He hated all of those people. He hated everything. Nothing was the same anymore. Levi couldn’t touch anything or anyone anymore. He couldn’t touch door handles. He couldn’t keep himself from puking at least once within a week. _I’m already short, but throwing up all the time will probably stunt my growth forever and just fuck up my insides,_ he thought. _My stomach won’t stop hurting. My head hurts. Everything hurts._ Again, his eyes brimmed with tears. He was used to the sensation by now. He didn’t cry every day, but he cried every time he thought of how right the people at school were. _I really am a fucking freak. Everyone at school hates me. Dad hates me. I hate me. I can’t live like this anymore. It would be a favor to the world if I just killed myself._

One late night in April, Levi attempted to drown himself in the bathtub. He laid back in the water, clutching the edges of the tub, and held himself down as long as he could. But it hurt too much. Water clogged his throat and nose and he shot up, coughing and wheezing, spitting up water and panting heavily once he caught his breath. He couldn’t do it.

After that, he took to self harming. Covering his pale thighs in his own blood didn’t bother Levi at all in the slightest, somehow. He swiped the razor blade across his flesh so quickly that it took a few seconds for his skin to split open and fill with blood. The pain didn’t feel good, like he’d heard from stories of other people doing this to themselves. The pain was horrible. He cut deep, and it didn’t bring him pleasure or satisfaction. It hurt. It made him feel sick. It made him cry.

But it was what he thought he deserved. It was punishment for being so messed up, for being too stupid to comprehend that dirt wasn’t a big deal. For being such a weakling.

Nobody knew that he did it. Levi didn’t want anybody to know. He didn’t want anyone to worry about him more than they had to, and he didn’t want anyone to take away his razors. They were the only thing he could really cope with. It was all he had to help him keep it together.

A few weeks after the bathtub failure, Levi tried to choke himself to death with the string from his favorite hoodie. Then he tried cutting up his arms and bleeding out. He looked at the bottles of pills in his parents’ medicine cabinet longingly. He was realizing that each suicide attempt he’d made had gotten harder and harder to follow through with.

No matter how tightly he wrapped the string around his neck, he always managed to take the softest little breaths.

The cuts he’d made on his arms weren’t close enough to the important veins in his wrists to actually do serious damage to him.

He couldn’t even take the pills from his parents’ medicine cabinet. And there were more than enough. His parents probably wouldn’t have noticed they were gone until it was too late.

And when he climbed out his window and stood at the edge of the roof, Levi didn’t have it in him to jump.

He hated himself more than ever. He was too much of a coward to even die.

\-----------------------------------

One year and three psychiatric hospital visits later, Levi was officially an adult. Graduating high school was never a highlight of his life, but playing real gigs with his newly re-named band, Chimera, was. It always made him feel good to sing along the the music they played, to feel the heat of the stage lights on his face, to know that everyone was watching him out of admiration instead of disgust. And he was proud of himself. Actually proud. He taught himself, slowly, how to touch things again. Deep breath. You are clean. It is okay. You can wash your hands right after. Touch.

And it worked.

He got better with people again, too. It was all a long, tedious process, but it was worth it. He could pat Petra’s head and elbow Hanji while wearing a short sleeved shirt. And it only slightly bothered him when his friends touched him. But he could actually handle it. Strangers, on the other hand, all had to use sanitary wipes before they were allowed to shake his hand or touch him in any other way. He had no idea where those people had been, and it didn’t bother him anymore to see the weird looks he got when he handed them the wipes. He stopped caring what people thought about him. For the time being, he was fine with still being freakishly clean at home, too. He, along with the rest of the band, got their first tattoos together. Two record companies gave them their business cards. Levi was happy.

Then, his father gave him a proposition. “Levi, you’re eighteen, now. You’re a man. I want you to go to medical school so you can carry on my legacy.”

“I’m sorry, you want me to _what_?”

“I’ll happily pay your tuition and give you a place to stay, too. You are my oldest son, so it’s necessary to me for you to have this opportunity. You’ll never go anywhere in life if you just sit around and fiddle with your little instruments all day and wear makeup like some tranny. I will not let my son waste his life on something stupid without giving him the chance to do something right. For once.”

Levi blinked. Countless times, he wanted to hit his father, but he never did. And this was, unfortunately, one of those times. But he was on a roll, wasn’t he? Levi was having a good time with his friends, he was able to act normal in public, he was making great music- so why couldn’t he make his asshole of a father proud, too? The man never said Levi had to give up on the band or _finish_ medical school. He just had to _go_ to medical school. It was his choice. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

******  
  
  
  
  
**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, everyone! I hope you liked this new chapter. If you did, please leave a comment! Your comments are what drive me to write more and it really boosts my confidence! ^u^ I tried to make it as realistic as possible, too!


	17. What is Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi goes to therapy and Eren makes some plans; plot filler because I haven't updated in forever and I'm trash

Levi opened his eyes to find sunlight streaming through the large glass wall in his bedroom. He turned his back to the brightness and groaned, pulling the blanket up over his head. _What a fucked up dream._ A frown set on his features as the taste of his own morning breath set in. “Ugh. Great. Fucking dreaming of my shitty ass childhood just to wake up to some shitty ass breath,” He grumbled.

With a groan, Levi sat up. He stretched, yawned, and rolled out of bed, shuffling to the bathroom to brush his teeth. _Tch. Medical school was such bullshit. Fuck that old man, I should’ve swiped my whole tuition from him and hit the road when I had the chance,_ he thought bitterly, scrubbing his gums with more force than necessary. _...But it was pretty sanitary in there, apart from the shit that went on in the fucken’ autopsy class._

Having no further thoughts on the subject, Levi carefully put his lip ring in and dressed himself before changing out the bedsheets he’d slept in for a clean set. He took the bundle of cloth down to the laundry room and tossed it all in the hamper, washed his hands in the kitchen sink, and made breakfast. Then Levi dusted off all the light fixtures and tables and shelves in the house, sprayed and wiped down all the windows, mopped the floors again, cleaned out the toilets, and reorganized all his music. The phone on the living room coffee table began vibrating repeatedly and, with another soft yawn, Levi sat on the couch and picked it up. “Hello?”

“Hello, am I speaking to Mr. Levi Ackerman?” The woman on the other end of the line asked. The receptionist at Life Point Solutions.

“This is he,” Levi replied, hunching over and resting his elbows on his knees.

“Ms. Rico would like to remind you that you have therapy today at two o’clock, and that your bill for your previous session will be arriving in the mail for you in a day or two,” the woman said.

Levi sighed. He had completely forgotten about cleaning out all the junk mail in his mailbox. “Yeah, I got it. Two o’clock. I’ll be there,” he replied, glancing up at the clock on the wall. Eleven thirty. He still had time.

“Thank you very much, I’ll let her know. Have a wonderful day, sir.” The woman hung up, and Levi sighed again.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Two and a half hours later, Levi sat down across from his therapist. “Good afternoon, Levi,” she greeted. “Anything to report for this week?”

He shrugged. “I had dinner with Eren at my place. It was nice, I guess.”

“You guess?”

Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, Levi took a deep breath. “After he left, the beast was unleashed.”

“I see. Do you think that having him there keeps the ‘beast’ under control?” Rico asked, jotting something down in a notebook.

Levi rolled his eyes. “I don’t know, you tell me.”

Adjusting her glasses, Rico gave Levi a long stare. “Did anything else happen last night, Levi?”

He shrugged. “I told him what happened to me in high school.”

“And how did that go?”

Levi shrugged again, not really wanting to talk about it. “As good as it could have gone, I guess. It was just annoying to have to think about it again,” he admitted.

More jotting. What exactly was she writing? “Do you think confiding in Eren made you feel any better about it?” Rico asked, stabbing her paper with a period.

Levi thought back, recalling Eren’s tender words of understanding and his sweet, comforting touches, feeling his face get hotter the more he thought of the things they had done the night before. It wasn’t much, but everything else he’d done with other people couldn’t hold a candle to the way he felt when Eren’s hands touched his bare skin. That sudden realization gave Levi’s eyes a spark.

“An unexpected revelation?” Rico asked, noticing Levi’s expression.

Finally focusing back on his therapist, Levi shook his head free of his daze and just said what he felt. “I think I like touching him. I mean, I like it when he touches me. It feels...Nice, I guess.” He ended the sentence with a slightly more upward inflection, like it was more of a question he needed to ask himself before he decided. No doubt, Eren’s presence near him was enough to make Levi happy, and all that he really expected. What he didn’t expect was how those eyes of his, that voice, those hands...The way all of Eren’s being just made Levi forget his problems for a while. They had only been dating a couple months at the most, so how was this happening? Why just with Eren? Was Levi in love? Would it be weird if he was? He had no idea how to feel, now that this had popped up in his head. Levi looked his therapist in the eye and, having a lot to say but no way to say it, he used the one word he could think of clearly at the moment. “Fuck.”

\-------------------------

As soon as Eren stepped into the cafeteria, he heard a distant, growing scream of his name.

“Ereeeen! EREEENNN!” Sasha called, zipping between groups of other kids to get to her friend.

Eren blinked in surprise. “What’s wrong?! Why are you yelling?!” Mikasa rubbed her temple.

“You’re yelling too, Eren,” she mumbled.

“There’s gonna be a Halloween party at my place, and you’re invited! Everyone’s invited! There’s gonna be french fries, cole slaw, fried chicken, cheeseburgers-”

“Cheeseburgers?!” Eren interrupted, his eyes wide with awe.

“You’re goddamn right, cheeseburgers!” Sasha squealed. The two of them shared wide, gleeful grins and high-fived.

Armin entered the lunch room with a soft, tinkling laugh. “I’m sure Levi is gonna be totally attracted to what a sloppy mess you are when you eat cheeseburgers,” he giggled.

Sasha gasped. “Wait, is that Eren’s boyfriend?! Dude, you _have_ to bring him! You can even do a couple’s costume! That’s what Connie and I are doing,” she gushed. “I can’t decide whether we’ll be toilet paper and poop or a plug and a socket, though…”

Eren snorted. “At least Jean doesn’t need to get a costume, he looks enough like Flicka anyways,” he commented, unaware that Jean had just entered the lunch room behind him with the rest of their friends.

“And you look like a jackass, jackass,” he responded with a glare. Eren just turned his head and stuck his tongue out.

Before Jean could raise his fist, Marco quietly swooped in and began ushering him toward the lunch line.

Sasha continued, undeterred by Eren and Jean’s usual banter. “Oh, it’ll be so, _so_ fun. Nobody has to do anything fancy, but I don’t want any lazy costumes either. That means _no_ passive-aggressive T-shirts. I’m lookin’ at you, Ymir.”

The freckled girl raised both hands defensively. “Alright, alright, I’ll wear a legit costume this time. You better have booze at your place.”

Mikasa rested one hand on Eren’s shoulder and gently ushered him backward, just a few steps away from their circle of friends. “When do you plan on telling your dad about Levi?” she asked softly.

Eren looked back at her with an annoyed expression. “Come on, you know how straightlaced he is. Besides, I’m not exactly the ‘Doctor Protege’ he wanted me to be in the first place. If my dad found out I was gay _on top_ of that, he’d be even more disappointed in me than he is already,” he hissed. Mikasa let out a little sigh.

“Will Mom ever...You know, meet him?” she asked.

Eren’s jaw clenched. He knew exactly what she meant. _Will Mom live long enough to meet him?_

“...Of course she’ll meet him,” he began, sounding a little unsure. But the more he thought about it, the more determined he got. “Yeah. She’ll definitely meet him. In fact, I’ll have Levi come by the apartment to pick me up and say hi to her. It’ll be totally legit and totally not awkward.”

“Of course,” Mikasa agreed, patting his shoulder supportively.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been literally a whole school year wtf i am so sorry you guys if anyone is still reading this shit please leave a comment so I know you don't hate me for abandoning you all  
> also i'm sorry that this isn't "juicy" or anything, just gimme some time to get back into the swing of this story and I promise to leave you hanging on to every word and anticipating the next chapters~


	18. A Very Important Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi meets Eren's mom and you get even more emotionally attached to Carla.

It took Eren way, waaay too long to work up the nerve to call Levi. He had Levi’s number for a while now, scribbled on the inside of an old gum wrapper. But every time he thought about calling, butterflies mercilessly filled his stomach and worry clenched his heart.  _ What if Levi doesn’t like talking on the phone? What if he expects me to text him instead? What if he gets annoyed? What if he’s busy?  _ Eren squeezed the thick telephone nervously and tangled his fingers in the corkscrewed cord. The phone was in the kitchen, giving Eren very little privacy, but he couldn’t put it off any longer. Between his mom asking about Levi every time he went out and Sasha’s Halloween party creeping closer and closer, Eren decided that it was time to finally do it. Shakily, he dialed Levi’s number and put the phone to his ear.

After a few rings, a perfect, velvety voice answered. “Hello?”

Eren’s heart fluttered as soon as Levi spoke. “Uh- Levi, hi, it’s Eren. Hi,” he greeted, nervously tangling up the phone cord even more. In an instant, Eren took a deep breath and everything came out in a rush. “I’m just calling because there’s a Halloween party this weekend and we were both invited by my friend Sasha and you don’t have to go if you don’t want to go but I thought it could be fun maybe and we could wear costumes and also my mom really wants to meet you.”

There was a second of silence, then Eren heard a sigh. “What time should I be there?” Levi asked.

Eren gasped and jumped in place, grinning widely. “Can you do seven on Saturday night??”

“Yeah, yeah. Seven’s fine,” Levi replied. “What should I wear?”

“Anything you want, as long as it’s not a sarcastic T- shirt. Sasha’s rule, not mine.” Eren laughed nervously and ran his hand through his hair. “So, I...Can I come over tonight?”

“You have a strange attachment to my house,” Levi said flatly.

Eren grinned. “Nope, just a strange attachment to you.”

He could practically hear Levi roll his eyes on the other end of the line. He imagined, for a moment, what Levi’s expression might be during this moment. The little, crooked smile. The pink flush in his cheeks. “Shut up,” Levi replied. Eren grinned even wider, hearing the embarrassment in Levi’s voice.

“You’re so cute,” Eren sighed, his body relaxing a bit.

“What was that?”

“What? What was what? I didn’t say anything- Did you say-? What did you say?” Eren babbled. Again, he could hear Levi roll his eyes through the phone.

“What am I gonna do with you?” 

“Hopefully kiss and hug?” Eren offered.

On the other end of the line, Levi couldn’t suppress a smile. “If you’re lucky.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday night came all too soon. Eren’s heart was pounding in his chest as he eyed the broken clock on the wall while Mikasa applied his Frankenstein-esque makeup. He didn’t want to subject Levi to the mega-embarrassing ‘couple’s costume’ idea. It was already six-fifty. Eren took a deep breath.  _ Levi is going to meet my mom. God. I hope she likes him. I hope he likes her. _

Carla smoothed out the blanket over her lap and sighed, “Staring a hole into that old clock won’t make him come any faster, honey,” she said, smiling at Eren. 

“Please don’t sweat off your makeup,” Mikasa chimed in quietly, applying more of the ghoulish green face paint to Eren’s forehead.

Eren huffed and  turned his gaze to the door, and time was lost to him in an instant. All he could focus on was the pounding of his heart in his ears and his growing anxiety over his first boyfriend being face to face with his mother. The prospect of that was nerve-wrecking. 

Before he knew it, the quick rapping on the front door made Eren jump out of his seat and on the floor. He scrambled to his feet, brushed off his dirty, tattered costume, and ran to the front door. He paused for a single beat before he opened the door.

Eren’s heart stopped. There Levi was, his hair slicked back, his eyes rimmed with liner, dressed head-to-toe in a sexy, dracula-esque black suit with a lot of white ruffles in the front, complete with a black cape. He was a pale, gorgeous, Gothic dream.

“I guess it’s true,” Levi mused, reaching up and closing Eren’s gaping mouth. “Every girl’s crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man.”

“Did you just make a ZZ Top reference?” Carla called out. Levi smiled, and Eren bashfully stepped aside so he could enter. After closing the door behind him, Eren led Levi over to the bed. Carla’s tired smile brightened as soon as Levi came into view. “A lover of old rock  _ and  _ very handsome, I see. I’m Carla, Eren’s mother. It’s great to finally meet you,” she greeted, holding out her hand.

Hesitantly, Levi’s hand clasped hers. For the first time, Eren noticed how pale his mother really was. She hadn’t been outside in forever. “Levi. The pleasure’s all mine,” he replied politely. He pulled his hand away and very discreetly retrieved an alcohol wipe from his pocket. It didn’t go unnoticed by Eren as he wiped his hand off, and he quickly took the opportunity to thread his fingers through Levi’s after he put the used wipe back in his pocket.

Carla playfully fluttered her eyes as she gazed at their clasped hands. “Oh, you’re so sweet. I’d stand and give you a hug, but you know how cancer gets.”

Eren’s eyes went wide. “Mom!”

“What? I’m the one with the cancer here, I can joke about it if I want. I’m sorry, Levi, Eren isn’t usually so rude,” Carla continued, still smiling. Levi snorted and squeezed Eren’s hand, as if to say  _ It’s okay _ .

“I can always appreciate a good sense of humor,” Levi said, cracking another gorgeous smile. Eren calmed, his heart going aflutter.

“I’m glad  _ someone  _ does. I won’t lie, it’s pretty boring sitting in bed all day. It’s wonderful to see a new face every now and again.” Looking over to Eren, Carla gestured to the clock. “You won’t be late for your party, will you? As much as I hate sitting here all day, I’d rather do it by myself than keep you kids from having fun.”

Eren looked over his shoulder, studying the hands on the clock for a moment before he figured it out to be seven-fifteen. “Crap, you’re right. I think we’re supposed to be there before eight.”

Levi squeezed Eren’s hand again and smiled warmly at Carla. “Well, I’m happy that we got to meet. I know how much you mean to Eren, and I can see why he looks up to you. He’s really lucky to have a mother like you, Carla.”

Eren’s eyes suddenly teared up. He had no idea Levi was capable of such genuine sincerity and sweetness. Unsurprisingly, Carla was extremely touched as well. She pressed one hand over her heart and practically melted. “Thank you, Levi. I’m so proud of Eren for finding someone like you,” she replied.

There was a silence between the three of them. None of them wanted to ruin the moment.

“Well,” Mikasa began, standing up. “Levi, I’m not gonna be at the party until later, so take care of Eren.”

Eren furrowed his brow and glared at her. “I can take care of myself, Mikasa. Come on, Levi.” He pulled levi to the door with a huff and closed it behind them before she could say anything else embarrassing. “Sorry about that,” he said, his face heating up.

Levi shrugged and took his car keys out of his pocket with his free hand. “Don’t apologize, she’s just looking out for you. I’d worry if she didn’t.”

Half an hour later, Levi pulled up to the curb by Sasha’s packed driveway. He put the car in park and reached behind him. “What’re you getting?” Eren asked, glancing at the back seat.

“My fangs. I didn’t feel like putting them in before we left,” Levi replied, retrieving a little box from the darkness. Facing forward again, Levi adjusted the rearview mirror and opened the box, placing the two small, white, delicate looking fangs over his canines. “There. How do I look?” Levi gave a crooked little smirk, and Eren gulped.

“You look...Well, you look really good. Like, honestly, I would happily be your next victim.”

Levi snorted and couldn’t keep himself from smiling. He gracefully took off his seatbelt and leaned in close to Eren’s ear. “You know, vampires  _ love  _ virgin blood,” Levi purred.

The hairs on the back of Eren’s neck stood in reaction to Levi’s warm breath, but it was gone in an instant. Eren looked at Levi with wide eyes, but was greeted with a sly wink. 

Eren was embarrassed, but thankful for one thing. All the blood in his body went to his face rather than his dick, and Levi was chuckling to himself. 

“Oh, ha ha, very funny. We’ll see who’s laughing when I get you back,” Eren warned, clumsily stepping out of the car. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so ngl i was stoned through 99% of this chapter so I just threw together what I thought would be perfect and no one can stop me from making the love perfect  
> if you enjoyed this chapter please leave some kudos or a comment and tell me what you think might happen next, how you feel about Carla's situation, anything you want. I'm gonna stop talking like a weird ass survey thing now. Have a nice day, bros.


	19. God Bless American Cheeseburgers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Woo woo let's get this party started riiiiightttt

Once the couple entered Sasha’s house, hand in hand again after another round of alcohol wipes, Eren’s eyes landed directly on the food. There was a long table in the middle of the partygoers in the spacious living room, nearly overflowing with mostly Halloween-themed food. If Eren could afford it, he would have had the exact same table of food at his apartment  _ every day _ . “Holy shit,” he whispered, his eyes going wide as they met a particularly delicious looking stack of cheeseburgers.

“And I thought you fell in love when you first saw  _ me _ ,” Levi teased, following eren’s gaze to the fabulous spread. Snapping out of his stupor, Eren’s face went red under his green makeup.

“I  _ did _ ,” he mumbled, blushing even harder when Levi squeezed his hand in response.

“Let’s go get some food,” Levi said calmly, pulling him around the back end of the blocky Plug that Eren could only guess was Connie.

Eren happily used his free hand to pick up the steamy bun, unwilling to let go of Levi’s hand. He tried to take small-ish bites, chewing thoroughly before he swallowed. “Mmmmhhh,” Eren moaned.  _ So cheesy and salty and good!  _ He thought.

Levi glanced over the food apathetically, not really caring for finger-food. When Eren finally devoured the entire burger, Levi had an alcohol wipe at the ready for him. Reluctantly, he let go of Levi’s hand to wipe both of his own. As Eren cleaned up, he heard Ymir mention his name as she yelled into the kitchen.

“Eren!” Reiner called, stepping into the room from the kitchen in a shockingly fitting French Maid costume, complete with a little black hat and a feather duster that he waved in the air to get Eren’s attention. 

As he looked at Reiner, Eren caught a glimpse of Levi’s lip twitching upward at the sight of him. It sparked a sense of giddyness in Eren. Just knowing that Levi was holding back a smile made him grin widely himself. “Hey, Reiner. This is Levi, my…” excitement bubbled up even more in Eren’s tummy at actually saying the word  _ boyfriend  _ in front of Levi. “...Boyfriend.”

Reiner grinned at Levi. “Hey, Levi! I’m Reiner Braun, Certified Big Brother to everyone in this room,” he laughed. “Bert and I were just-” Reiner stopped himself when he gestured to empty space beside him. “Bert! Where are you, buddy?!” he called into the kitchen. 

Shyly, Bert peeked his own Maid Hat-topped head from behind the kitchen’s open archway. “It’s cold in the living room,” he protested.

“How else am I supposed to put the ice cream on the same table as the cheeseburgers?!” Sasha shouted from somewhere else in the kitchen. It sounded, unsurprisingly, like her mouth was full.

Bert heaved a sigh, dropped his head, and came out. He was dressed in the same exact costume as Reiner, although it was a bit more revealing due to his tall stature. Once he finally filled the empty space Reiner had gestured to before, the blond continued. “Bert and I were just about to get everyone together for a game. You up for it?” he asked, playfully winking at the two of them. 

“You know I’m always ready to kick Jean’s ass at a game. What is it?” Eren asked, excitedly taking Levi’s hand back into his grasp.

Reiner leaned in and booped Eren’s nose with his feather duster.  “I’m taking two classics and making a baby with them. We’re all gonna sit in a circle, spin a bottle, and whoever it lands on has to either tell a truth or do a dare,” he explained. “Think you’re up for it, Levi?”

“As long as I don’t have to touch anything gross, I’m on board.”

After five minutes of gathering the spread-out houseful of guests, getting them all in a circle, and placing a bottle at the center of them, Reiner loudly cleared his throat. “Alright, is everybody ready?”

Eren sat atop the extra cape-space Levi offered to him and possessively held onto his arm. Sasha happily plopped down next to him in her clunky Wall Socket costume. Connie was already sitting on the other side of the circle in his respective Plug costume. To his left was Reiner, and Bert after him. On Connie’s right was Krista, who didn’t even look like she was dressed up with the white gown on her and the halo over her head. Next was Ymir, who got away with sunglasses and a leather jacket passing off a Biker look. Finally, next to Levi sat Jean and Marco dressed as everyone’s favorite mustachioed pair of plumbers. 

As everyone nodded and said their affirmations, Reiner gave the bottle a sharp spin with a flick of his wrist. The glass was blurred before their eyes for a full five seconds before it started slowing down, slowing and slowing and slowing. Finally, the open end of the bottle rested in front of Jean’s overall-clad figure. 

It took Eren 0.5 seconds to notice this, and 0.7 seconds to yell: “I DARE YOU DING DONG DITCH COACH SHADIS!”

The room was overcome with a chorus of  _ Oooohhhhh! _ s that came from the rest of the teenagers. Nobody fucked with Shadis. Nobody who lived to tell about it, anyway. 

Jean glared daggers into Eren’s smug face, but didn’t say anything.  _ You motherfucking dick. You really want me to die! _ He noticed Eren’s clingyness to a certain arm, and glanced at Levi.  _ Who the fuck…?  _ Eren’s nose challengingly bumped his before he could entertain the thought any further.

“ _ And  _ you have to wait three whole seconds before you move an  _ inch  _ from his doorstep.”

At that, Jean’s face drained its color. “Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More filler because I am literal trash with no inspiration. Like, you know how, when you plan out a story, you /generally/ know what's gonna happen? That's how I am. I have the sex planned out, the romance, the pain, the glory, even the end. Sort of. But I don't have little, teensy details. I've yet to come across any good ideas for the small stuff yet, and I know that I'm not the only one brimming with headcannons about our favorite characters. This, dear readers, is where you come in. What do /you/ want to happen? 
> 
> I'd just like some input on how you think the story will/should continue. Is this lazy? probably. Do I give a fuck? No. I'm just a chick tryna come up with as many hella gay ideas as possible. You guys should be a part of that, I think. So, if you'd like, put a wicked rad headcannon/idea in the comments and you just might inspire one or more awesome chapters of this story to come!  
> Forever yours,  
> Luna~  
> (ps, if I do incorporate any specific ideas of yours, I'm obviously gonna give you credit. Everyone should shine!)  
> (also I'm stoned please don't be offended by me i'm so sorry)


	20. Short and Fluffy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pointless fluff.

“No way, Jaeger. I’m not doing it,” Jean stubbornly growled.

“Then you have to do the next dare by default,” said Reiner.

Eren grinned devilishly, but before he could say anything, Levi interjected. “Kiss the person in this room you like the most.”

Again, the circle of friends  _ Ooooohh _ ed at Jean and his face went bright red. “I don’t like anyone in here! Who the hell are you, anyway?!”

“Just a guy who knows a chicken when I see one,” Levi replied smoothly. Eren absolutely melted and leaned hard against his side. 

“Marry me,” he begged dreamily. Levi just rolled his eyes and Jean scrunched up his nose in disgust.

Reiner leaned over and flicked Jean’s knee hard enough to make him flinch. “Don’t bring the homophobia out here, bro,” he warned, catching the look Jean was giving the couple.

Marco softly elbowed Jean’s side. “Just save yourself the trouble and get it over with.”

Jean threw his head back and let out a long, annoyed groan. “Where’s Mikasa?”

“Home,” Eren answered chipperly.

“Oh, and she’s staying there. Called earlier, told me to tell you,” Sasha called out to Eren between bites in a twinkie.

Another groan emanated throughout the room, but this time, it came from Marco. “Ugh, we are literally wasting so much time on this stupid thing.” With a deep breath, the freckled boy leaned over and pecked Jean’s cheek. “There. Now let’s move on, already.” Marco grabbed the bottle and promptly gave it a spin amidst the astonished silence of his best friend and everyone else.

“I’m starting to like Luigi over here,” Levi said. Marco smiled shyly at him.

The bottle spun and spun and spun, slowing as the tension in the room started to wind down. Jean’s whole face was still bright red, but the spot on his cheek where Marco’s oddly soft lips had touched him felt far hotter than the blush itself. His mouth was clamped shut and stayed that way. The bottle landed in front of sweet, adorable Krista.

“Alright, truth or dare?” Marco asked.

Krista narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “Hmmm. What the heck, gimme a dare,” she decided.

“Striptease!” Ymir shouted gleefully, pumping her fist in the air. Krista shot her a dirty look, and she shrugged. “Come on, babe, I meant  _ later _ ~” The freckled girl wiggled her eyebrows, pulled her sunglasses down, and winked. Krista blushed and tried helplessly to hold back a smile.

“This game is not going as smoothly as I planned,” Reiner stated, giving a soft sigh of defeat. Bertholdt patted his back sympathetically.

Ymir held up a can of beer and grinned. “At least there’s booze!” she cheered, pulling Krista into her lap. “Liquid Lust~!” The angel squealed in mock distress as everyone else laughed and hooted. 

Eren blushed at the girls’ limitless PDA and looked over at Levi from the corner of his eye. Cautiously, he leaned in and murmured into Levi’s ear. “Wanna get out of here?”

He could feel Levi’s body tense before the man shot him a dirty glare. “We just got here,” he grumbled back.

Again, as soon as Eren spoke into his ear, Levi tensed up a little. “Pleeeaase? I’m tired,” he begged softly.

Levi could feel his cheeks start to get hot. “You’re full of shit is what you are.” Grunting, Levi stood and pulled Eren up alongside him. After saying their brief goodbyes to the group, Eren eagerly marched toward the front door with Levi in tow. Once they made it outside, he couldn’t resist.

Eren pulled Levi close and pressed his lips flush against his cheek. “I prefer spending time with you, that’s all,” he finally replied, giving Levi an affectionate squeeze. 

“And,” he added more softly, “Since we’re alone, I can do  _ this _ !” With a maniacal cackle and lightning fast hands, Eren mercilessly tickled Levi’s sides.

“Fuck- No, I fucking hate you- Ah! Nooooo!” Levi squirmed in Eren’s grasp as he laughed and screamed, but the teen was relentless. Grinning, Eren picked Levi up and spun him around, earning another endearing string of curses in his direction. When he finally put Levi down, Eren smooched his lips and tangled their fingers together. “What’s gotten into you? You’re so lovey-dovey. More than usual, I mean,” Levi asked, breathless.

Eren shrugged and touched his forehead against Levi’s. “I just want you to feel good,” he answered simply. 

Levi rolled his eyes and bit back a smile. “Yeah, yeah. Get any sweeter and you’ll rot my teeth out. I’m taking you home before you cause any more trouble.”

“Awwwhh, but I  _ like  _ causing trouble,” Eren whined playfully, making no effort to fight Levi as he started pulling the younger over to the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am still inspiration-less garbage so I'mgonna post this crap and then drop the bomb in the next chapter


	21. The Bittersweet Chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Eren haphazardly twisted his key in the lock and entered his apartment with a cheerful “I’m hoome~!” He stepped over to the hospital bed and opened his mouth to speak again, but saw that his mother wasn’t there. _What? Weird. Maybe Mikasa took her to the bathroom?_ Eren turned from the bed and looked at the end of the apartment’s small corridor. The only bathroom’s door was ajar, the room behind it dark and empty. But, for the first time in what seemed like forever, light seeped out from under the door of Carla and Grisha’s room. Curious, Eren tiptoed carefully down the hall, passed his and Mikasa’s shared bedroom, and stopped in front of his parents’ closed bedroom door. He could just barely hear a heated conversation on the other side.

“Grisha- _please_ \- just wait a little longer! He doesn’t know!” Carla sobbed, nearly choking on her heavy sniffles.

Eren’s first instinct was to bust down the door and kick his dad’s ass. He didn’t know what his father had done to upset her, but he sure as hell would make sure it never happened again.

However, just as Eren tensed his muscles and reached for the door handle, Eren’s father replied to his mother’s plea. “You can’t keep it from him forever, Carla! How do you think he’d feel with a pile of Life Insurance money and no idea how it got there?!” _Life Insurance?_ Eren froze in place.

“I don’t know, damn it! I don’t know!” Carla yelled back, her voice breaking in a few spots. She was barely holding it together. Her next words were quieter, and Eren had to press his ear against the door to hear them. “Eren and Mikasa are just starting to get their lives together. Just starting to be happy again. Am I supposed to just take that away…?”

Grisha sighed audibly. “Carla, the longer you stall, the worse it’ll be. You only have a few _weeks,_ for Christ’s sake!”

Eren’s breath caught in his throat. The dim hallway blurred.

_You only have a few weeks._

_A few weeks._

_Weeks._

In his delirium, Eren fell flat on his ass and scrambled into his room. He shut the door and turned the little knob lock almost hard enough to rip it off, his eyes wide and full of panic. “Eren? What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Mikasa asked, setting a book aside and getting out of bed.

Eren swallowed hard and looked Mikasa dead in the eyes. The words still didn’t feel real. “Mom...She’s...In- In a few weeks, she’ll be… She’s gonna…” Tears started welling up in his eyes. Hopelessly, Eren searched Mikasa’s face for any expression, any reassurance that she knew what was really going on, and that Eren had only misheard, somehow. He only saw her jaw clench before she looked down shamefully.

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Eren felt like the wind was knocked out of him. “Did you know…?” he half-whispered, blinking away his tears as he clenched his fists. She didn’t say anything. “Mikasa. How long. Did you know?”

There was a long silence between them before the quiet girl responded. Her lips trembled guiltily, knowing that Eren would probably hate her for what she would say. “A couple months.”

Eren’s brain exploded. He wished it did, at least, so he wouldn’t have to deal with what the fuck was going on. Blindly, he pushed past Mikasa and shoved the window open, swiftly climbed out, and slammed it shut. Then he bounded his way down the fire escape, holding back every urge in his body that wanted him to scream.

Instead, he ran. Like a heartbroken and enraged Forrest Gump, he ran. Eren ran away from his apartment until the building was out of sight. He fell to his knees and choked out a sob, pounding the sidewalk with his fists. All at once, emotions swam around and collided in Eren’s mind. Pain. Heartache. Betrayal. Fear. Nausea. By the time Eren wore himself out, his knuckles were bloody and the green makeup was streaked with tears. He just felt tired, now. His chest ached. His hands ached. Even his eyes ached.

Numbly, Eren looked up at the empty sidewalk that stretched ahead of him. His eyes wandered to the dark, out-of-business buildings around him and spotted a payphone. With a pained groan, Eren unclenched his fists and made his way over to the device. He fished some nickels and dimes from his pocket, mechanically dialed Levi’s number, and spoke hoarsely when his boyfriend answered. “Hello?”

“Please pick me up, Levi. I- I don’t know what to do. My mom...Mom…” Eren broke down again.

“What? Eren, is that you? I’m getting in the car right now, where are you?”

Sniffling, Eren looked up at the street signs under the flickering lamp. “Main Street and Gr- rant,” he stammered, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

“Don’t move an inch, I’m on my way.”

Four minutes later, Levi’s Mercedes squealed to a halt at the corner of Main and Grant and the man jumped out of the car. “What happened? Are you okay? Fucking shit, you’re bleeding.” Levi’s words came out in a rush as his hands cupped Eren’s face, examined it for wounds, then noticed the blood on Eren’s hands. He grabbed them carefully and studied the scrapes and busted skin with an expression of sheer worry on his face. Eren didn’t say anything. “I’m taking you to the hospital,” Levi decided.

Again, Eren burst into tears, shaking his head feverishly in protest. “No! No! Please, no!” he begged, lowering down and curling up in a ball. Levi was utterly shocked by the reaction.

“Alright, it’s alright,” Levi cooed, “I’ll just take you to my house, then. Is that okay?” He kneeled down and cautiously patted Eren’s back. “Breathe, Eren.”

After a few seconds dedicated to calming himself, Eren nodded. That was all Levi needed. He carefully took Eren into his arms with a grunt and carried him like a groom would his bride over to the passenger side of the car, set him in, and buckled his seatbelt. Then he got into the driver’s seat, turned on the ignition, and made a complete U-turn to get on their way to Levi’s house as quickly as possible. The only conversation that took place was Levi giving Eren more breathing instructions and Eren nodding in return. By the time they made it to the driveway, Eren was more exhausted than ever. Levi wordlessly carried him out of the car, through the front door, and into the living room.

Eren slumped on the couch when Levi set him back on his feet. His whole body just hurt. He wanted to go to sleep-or wake up, hoping that this was just another nightmare. Eren shut his eyes tight, and it stung, but when he opened them, it stung more. Eren squinted at the harshness of the overhead light and jumped in surprise when Levi grabbed his hand again. He had a first aid box in his lap that was filled to the brim with medical tape, gauze, bandages, ointment, and a slew of other things. It was then that Eren noticed Levi was wearing gloves this time. He carefully patted around Eren’s bloodied knuckles with a wet washcloth, squirted Neosporin onto a bandage, and pressed it over the wounds. Then, methodically, Levi wrapped white gauze around Eren’s hand and repeated the process with the other. Eren tentatively flexed his fingers, feeling a tiny sense of relief when he found that his hands didn’t hurt nearly as much anymore. “Where did you learn to do this?” Eren asked softly.

“Medical school,” Levi casually replied, pulling off his gloves. “And no, I’m not into playing ‘Doctor’.”

Eren laughed dryly, then looked at his bandages more closely . _Medical school. Hm._ Looking up at Levi, Eren steadied himself with a deep breath. “You’re gonna hate me for asking, but...Can I...Can I please spend the night here? I swear, I’ll stay on the couch, I won’t touch anything, I just...” Eren paused, swallowing hard. “I can’t go back home right now,” he whispered.

Levi balled up his gloves with a sigh as he stared at Eren’s face. His eyes were red all around in stark contrast to what was left of the smudged, pasty green makeup. Eren was upset for a reason. Something had to have happened to him at home. Levi felt that instinctual need to protect Eren again, to wipe all his tears away and make him laugh like always. There was no way he could just abandon him. “As long as you change out of your dirty clothes and wash your face, you can stay,” he decided.

Eren almost smiled. “Thank you so much, Levi. You really have no idea how much this means to me.”

Levi just nodded, then gestured over to the stairs. “Come on, let’s get this over with before you pass out. I’m sure you’re tired,” he said, letting Eren get to his feet before they both started the walk up the staircase. Eren only glanced around at the upstairs area as Levi led him to the master bathroom. The floors were black-dyed wood, the walls were a dark grey, and the windows looked even larger from the inside than from the outside. The two entered a large bedroom with a perfectly made-up bed with a thick, welcoming black comforter on top. Just the sight of it made Eren more sleepy. Nonetheless, he followed Levi over to the dresser, where the man pulled out a pair of boxers, pajama pants, and a rather large T-shirt. He tossed the clothes onto the bed and carefully took Eren’s hand to pull him into the bathroom. “Sit,” Levi ordered.

Eren obediently plopped down on the closed toilet lid as Levi turned on the sink to wet a washcloth. He then cupped Eren’s face and started blotting away the green goo. After a couple of minutes, Eren’s face was clear and his cheeks were rosy. “I have extra toothbrushes under the sink and you can use my shower whenever you feel up to it. Brush your teeth and change your clothes, I’m gonna make a spot for you on the couch.” Eren nodded.

After Levi left the room, Eren stood and looked at himself in the mirror. Although his face was clean, he looked like a wreck. He had no idea what to do. He had to tell Levi why he was there _some time_ , but he just couldn’t bring himself to even think about it anymore. All he wanted to do was sleep. Eren shuffled into the bedroom, shimmied out of his shoes, shirt, pants, and boxers, and changed into the fresh clothes given to him. He let out a wide, tired yawn and sat on the bed. Before he knew it, everything went dark.

In the living room, Levi laid out his favorite, comfiest blanket across the couch and piled up three pillows for Eren to use as he pleased. He turned the living room light down low and finally took his shoes off after all that time being in the house. With an exasperated sigh, Levi placed his boots by the door and washed his hands in the kitchen sink before making a glass of water for Eren. He set the drink down on the living room table and looked up to the top of the staircase. Eren still hadn’t come. “The fuck is taking so long…?” Levi mumbled to himself as he climbed up to the second floor. He stopped at his open bedroom door and peered in cautiously, expecting to catch Eren half naked and struggling to get everything on with his bandages.

However, what drew his attention was the soft sound of snoring coming from his bed. There, Eren was slumped on his side, out cold. His legs were hanging off the bed like he had been sitting. It was obvious that he had fallen over and completely crashed out against the pillows. Levi’s gaze went soft, and he took care to be extra quiet as he crept into the room and gently lifted Eren’s legs onto the bed. Then he pulled back the covers and draped them over Eren’s sleeping form. “You little shit,” he murmured endearingly. Without missing a beat, Levi leaned in and gently placed a kiss on Eren’s temple. A warm, comforting gooeyness came to Levi’s heart when he did that. Part of him wanted to stay there with Eren, to climb into bed next to him and be right there as soon as Eren needed anything. But there was a bigger part of him that made his hands itch to clean something. They had both walked in with their shoes on. There was undoubtedly dirt all over the floor, Eren’s clothes had to be taken care of, and now that he was thinking about it, the couch and everything on it had to be cleaned again. Levi absolutely hated the lapse in his personal logic. All it did was make things harder for him.

Levi wasted no more time. Picking up Eren’s clothes with tentative fingertips, he hurried over to the door, across the second floor, down the stairs, and threw the germ-infested fabric into the washer. After that, Levi went straight to the supply closet and pulled out floor cleaner, a mop, paper towels, sponges, and disinfecting spray from the array of bottles, cans, and boxes available. It was time to take care of the invisible mess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:D


	22. Wacky Tobaccy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi gon be smokin the bud y'all

When Eren opened his eyes, it was still dark. He was somewhere soft, cocooned in a warm blanket. He stretched, yawned, and rubbed his eyes as the hazy memories came back into focus. _I hurt myself,_ he thought, squinting in discomfort as he flexed his fingers around the bandages. _Levi took care of me. I’m in his bed right now._ Numbly, Eren looked over his shoulder to see if maybe, just maybe, Levi had stayed with him. It didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would when he saw the other side of the bed completely empty, but there was an undeniable pang of loneliness. _My mom is going to die._

Eren squeezed his eyes shut and curled up as his tear ducts overflowed uncontrollably. He pressed his face into a pillow and choked out a muffled sob. It was so, so hard to stop crying. What else could he do? He couldn’t punch anything again. He couldn’t scream. And Levi would never let him drink away his sorrows.

 _Levi. That’s who I need right now,_ Eren realized. He immediately sat up and wiped away all his tears. Then, with a deep breath, he got out of bed and padded into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Levi was pacing. All of his meds were in his bathroom, and he didn’t want to disturb Eren’s sleep by turning on all the lights and rattling pill bottles. He had washed out the carpet, swept and mopped the hardwood, and thoroughly Febreezed the couch; there was nothing left but to wait for the washer to finish its cycle. Levi looked up at the clock. It was only three-fifteen, he could afford to stay up for another hour or two.

“Levi?” A voice called softly from atop the stairs. Levi looked up at Eren and immediately relaxed as the teen carefully stepped down the stairs in the dim lighting.

“Is everything okay?” Levi asked.

Eren shrugged and sat down on the couch. “I just want to talk for a while. Get my mind off stuff. Will you sit with me?”

The kid was so damn sincere and so damn sweet. Levi sighed softly and sat down next to Eren with ease, even going so far as to lightly bump his elbow against Eren’s to communicate that he was there for him. Eren smiled and looked down, fidgeting with his gauze-bound hands.

“So, why didn’t you become an actual doctor?...Isn’t it kinda the cleanest place you can be?” Eren asked, letting his curiosity bubble up in his head.

Levi snorted. “Doctors get drug tested, and I smoke a _lot_ of weed,” he explained with a chuckle. “It’s actually more like a cesspool of sickness and disease anyway, and the last thing I want is a job where I’m surrounded by it.” Eren just nodded.

“I tried weed once, at Reiner’s house. It was weird, and I coughed a lot, but...I think I like it.” Eren confessed. He idly pulled at a loose end of the gauze over his knuckles, glancing over at Levi. “You know, if you have some...Maybe we could-”

“No,” Levi said, his voice stern. “You’re too young to start frying your brain cells like that.”

Eren frowned and crossed his arms. “You’re only five years older than me, Levi. And I already did it, so what’s the harm in doing it again?”

Levi groaned and rubbed his face tiredly. “It’s just...Ugh. I’m sorry. If it wasn’t illegal, I would offer you some so you can calm your ass down. I know you’re stressed, but I’m just trying to be responsible, here.”

Eren turned his head and looked Levi dead in the eyes. “I just found out my mom only has a few weeks to live,” he exclaimed, locking up completely after all the words came out. Eren clenched his fists and tried to keep himself from crying again. “I just want to forget it, Levi. Please.”

Levi stared at Eren for a long minute, taking in everything he had just heard. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he finally replied, standing up and marching over to the far end of the couch and opening the little drawer in the end table next to it. “Here. Don’t burn yourself.” Levi tossed a thick joint and a lighter to Eren, who just barely caught them with success. He shut the drawer and sat down next to Eren again as he struggled to ignite the lighter.

After a minute of fumbling, Eren huffed and handed Levi the joint. “Levi, I can’t do this. You have to start it,” Eren sighed, holding the lighter out to Levi. The man rolled his eyes and took it back from Eren.

“Want me to take a hit for you, too?” Levi grumbled, lighting the end of the joint and inhaling the relaxing, earthy smoke.

Eren scooted closer to Levi and smiled a little, his eyes focusing on the way the orange embers lit up with each puff Levi took. “If you want to,” he offered quietly. Levi smirked and hooked his finger into the collar of Eren’s shirt without hesitation, pulling him close. Skillfully, he locked Eren’s gaze, leaned in, and ever so gently blew the smoke from his mouth into Eren’s. Eren inhaled automatically, ignoring the rough burn in his throat as he stared helplessly into Levi’s gorgeous eyes.

Before Eren knew it, they were kissing. It was very soft and very comforting but nonetheless made him breathless. When Levi pulled away, Eren let out a long, smokey breath. They stared at each other for a long time before Levi broke the silence. “I need you to know that I’m here for you, Eren. Seriously. I know you must feel alone right now, but I’m here,” he whispered.

At that point, Eren couldn’t stop himself. Gently, he wrapped his arms around Levi’s waist and pulled him into a tight, warm hug. Levi willed himself not to tense up at the unexpected physical contact, but still held the heated end of the joint away from Eren in one hand while the other lightly patted Eren’s back comfortingly. That was when he heard Eren sniffle into his shoulder, nearly sounding like he’d break down into sobs again. _Shit, not this again,_ Levi thought, his eyes going wide. Immediately, he pulled away and held the joint out to Eren. “Here, quick, take a hit before the water works get started,” he urged.

Eren cracked another smile and sniffled again, wiping his eyes before he grabbed the joint and took a long drag. Smoke billowed from his mouth soon after, the burn in his throat dying down considerably. Eren blinked slowly and knitted his eyebrows together. Somehow, he was starting to feel real...floaty. It was a weird, surreal feeling. “I think it’s working,” he started, breaking into a little fit of laughter.

Levi’s heart fluttered at Eren’s giggles. He shook his head and smiled, plucking the joint from Eren’s hand and snuffing it out in the ashtray on the coffee table. “Better stop while we’re ahead, then. How’re you feeling?”

Eren laughed again and raised his hand, patting Levi’s head with a dopey smile on his face. “My brain feels like it’s floating and I really like showing you affection,” he said, leaning and rubbing the tip of his nose against Levi’s. “You’re the best.”

Rolling his eyes, Levi carefully took Eren’s hand off his head and held it, his own hand looking smaller than usual against the thick layers of gauze. “I’m glad you think so,” he murmured, kissing Eren’s lips softly. Again, Eren went breathless. He eagerly leaned in and kissed Levi harder, wanting to taste more of him.

“You _are_ the best,” Eren insisted softly, making a point of kissing Levi’s forehead, the tip of his nose, his cheeks, his jawline, and down the side of his neck.

“Eren…!” Levi gasped, squeezing his hand. Eren yelped and pulled away, holding his wrapped-up hand to his chest. It took Levi a few seconds to realize just what he’d done. “Fuck, Eren, I’m so sorry. Are you okay? Did I make it worse?” Levi asked, tentatively reaching out to him.

Eren flexed his aching fingers experimentally, finding that the flare in pain didn’t last very long. He let out a sigh of relief and let Levi take a look at the bandages. “I’m okay, really. You don’t have to apologize for being sensitive,” Eren replied, offering Levi a tiny smile.

Levi scoffed as he gently lifted the gauze and checked out the broken skin underneath. “I’m not sensitive,” he insisted, his monotonous tone accentuating his point.

“But your neck is,” Eren argued. “Your ears, too.” Levi looked up at Eren again, and their eyes met. He looked surprised, which oddly delighted Eren. He leaned in close and grinned mischievously. “I can always prove it to you if you still want to deny it.”

 _Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my clueless, bumbling boyfriend?_ Levi wanted to ask. He just swallowed hard, his face going red. “You’re even more bratty when you’re stoned, you know that?” he retorted.

Eren grinned proudly and wiggled his eyebrows. “And _you’re_ even more pretty when I’m stoned, you know that?” Eren fluttered his eyelashes sweetly before Levi gave him a playful little push. His embarrassment was obvious.

“God, I can’t believe you. Just go to sleep already,” Levi complained, not even trying to hide his smile. Eren laughed again and snuggled up close, resting his head on Levi’s shoulder.

“I love you,” Eren mumbled, nuzzling the crook of Levi’s neck affectionately while he held Levi’s arm in his embrace. A moment of silence passed before Levi responded, simply leaning his head on Eren’s. His heart ached to return the words, but he wasn’t sure if he could. Levi had deep, profound feelings for Eren, yes, but saying _I love you_ to Eren felt like a big step. He wasn't surprised Eren had said it, considering how open he was about his affection and how stoned he was at the moment. Levi leaned on Eren a little more and softly kissed his forehead, hoping Eren wouldn’t take his silence the wrong way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for sticking with me through this, everybody. I really hope you all like what I'm writing! I'm doing my best to improve and expand my story whenever I can, and if you have any suggestions or comments, I would love to hear from you!  
> seriously  
> anyone  
> anyone at all  
> i am so alone  
> please just say /something/


	23. Sitting In A Tree

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Jean tossed and turned in his bed, trying to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. However, he couldn’t get his mind to stop racing. It felt impossible to get Marco out of his head. Ever since he kissed him, Jean felt weird. A good kind of weird, but that was the weirdest part about it. Jean liked Mikasa, so why was his heart beating so hard at the memory of Marco’s lips on his cheek? The hazel-eyed teen looked at his alarm clock. Four AM. “Shit,” he grumbled, reaching out in the darkness and pulling his phone off the charger. The sudden bright light from the screen made Jean squint as he typed out a message with his thumb.

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:00 AM- Hey, u up? _

Marco’s text alert went off twice before the freckled boy opened his bleary eyes. With a yawn, he grabbed his phone off his bedside table and looked at the message, then at his alarm clock.  _ What’s he doing up at this hour?  _ Marco wondered to himself, tapping back a reply.

_ Marco Bodt: 4:01 AM- Yeah. What’s up? Can’t sleep? _

Jean didn’t expect his phone to immediately vibrate in his hand with Marco’s response, but sighed in relief when it did.

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:01 AM- Yeh. tbh i’m thinking abt the party. _

_ Marco Bodt: 4:01 AM- Sasha’s party? What about it? _

_ Marco Bodt: 4:03 AM- Jean…? _

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:03 AM- Sorry. i just feel weird thats all.  _

Marco furrowed his brow worriedly and sat upright. Had he gone too far? Was Jean trying to say he didn’t want to be friends anymore?

_ Marco Bodt: 4:04 AM- Crap, I’m sorry. I grossed you out, didn’t I?  I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries, bro. I’m honestly really sorry _ , he typed feverishly.

Jean frowned at his phone _. _

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:04 AM- U didnt gross me out!! I was just rlly embarrassed and i just dont no what 2 do. _

_ Marco Bodt: 4:04 AM- What do you mean? _

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:05 AM- Idk bro. Im gonna go to sleep, k? _

_ Marco Bodt: 4:05 AM- Jean, wait. Please talk to me. Are you mad? _

_ Jean Kirschtein: 4:07 AM- im not mad. Im...confused. talk 2 u abt it tomorrow ok? Gnight. _

_ Marco Bodt: 4:08 AM- ...Goodnight. _

Jean let out a sigh and plugged his phone back in. He rubbed his face tiredly and stretched out as he tried to make himself relax.  _ What’s wrong with me?  _  He asked himself. Staring up at the ceiling, Jean ran through everything in his head for the millionth time.  _ I don’t feel bad about him kissing me. I feel...I feel...Ugh, how the hell do I feel?  _ “Shit,” Jean cursed, resting his hand over his pounding heart. “My dad is gonna kill me.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By eight AM, Marco was out of bed and wolfing down a bowl of cereal at the kitchen table, his foot tapping impatiently against the floor. 

“Where’s the fire, bro?” Maggie asked, pouring herself a glass of orange juice as she watched Marco hurriedly drink the remains of his breakfast.

When he was finished, Marco got up and dumped the bowl into the sink. “I’m worried about Jean,” he explained, wiping his mouth. “I’m gonna go over to his place and see if he’s okay.”

Maggie nodded and took a few gulps of OJ. 

Marco couldn’t help but smile.  He patted Maggie’s head as he passed her and hurried over to the front door. Once he made it to the sidewalk, he broke out into a jog and started the two-block journey to Jean’s house.  _ It’ll be okay. Everything is gonna be okay. I just need to talk to him, and everything will work out. Yeah!  _ Marco tried to keep his thoughts optimistic as he bounded up the porch steps of Jean’s house. Nervously, the freckled boy pressed the doorbell and waited. However, when the door opened, his smile fell. “Oh, hey, Mrs. Kirschtein. Is Jean at home?”

The rather short, plump woman greeted Marco brightly. “Hi there, sweetie. Jean is in the basement. Come in, come in! Did you have breakfast?”

“Yeah, I had some cereal. Could I go and see him? It’s sort of important,” Marco replied. 

“Oh, well, of course! He’s probably just doing one of his workouts or something. Go have fun, okay? I’m expecting you to stay for lunch, young man.” Jean’s mother offered a friendly smile and touched Marco’s arm. 

Returning the grin, Marco nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

When Jean’s mother went into the kitchen, Marco made his way down the stairs to the basement. Shyly, he peeked into the personal weight room and stopped short of the last few steps. Jean was in there, facing away, lifting weights. His entire shirtless, glorious upper body looked tense and sweaty, but holy fuck did he look amazing. Every muscle in Jean’s back moved and contracted in response to the constant lifting he was doing, and Marco found himself struggling to swallow. After a long moment, he tore his eyes away from Jean’s insanely sexy back and cleared his throat. At that, Jean turned around. “Marco? What are you doing here?”

Marco took a deep breath and looked back up at Jean, meeting his gaze. “I’m worried about you. I’m worried that you’re upset about what I did.” He walked down the final steps and cautiously came toward Jean as he set the weights down. 

“I told you, I’m not upset,” Jean said, immediately avoiding Marco’s eyes. Why was he here? Why was Jean’s heart pounding harder and harder the closer he got? Jean felt stuck at the spot, unable to run from Marco or his feelings. Too soon for his liking,  Marco was right in front of him. He looked more scared than worried, though. “Are you okay?” Jean found himself asking, furrowing his brow in concern.

Marco looked down at the floor and shrugged. “I don’t know. Sorry, I just...I wish I knew what you’re really thinking.”

Jean frowned. “Me too, honestly,” he mumbled, reaching back and rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, I’m seriously not mad, okay? I’m...Ugh, I don’t know. I guess, I think I just want to say that I didn’t  _ hate  _ it, you know? The kiss, I mean.”

Marco’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide.  _ Did I hear him right?  _ He wondered, looking Jean dead in the eyes. “What did you just say?”

Jean returned the surprised expression and quickly looked away. His face started to feel hot as embarrassment crept up on him. “I’m not trying to be weird or anything! I just- I know I can be honest with you, so I’m just telling you the truth, that’s all. When it happened, I felt all weird and embarrassed, but not in a  _ bad  _ way, like, just a weird- you know- a weird, good-ish way?” He was rambling, and he knew it, but he couldn’t stop himself. “Not that I liked it, I’m not saying that either. But I didn’t  _ not _ like it. I just...Ugh. I don’t know how to say it without sounding...You know...”

Marco saw how red Jean’s face was getting. He was obviously getting really flustered, and Marco’s heart couldn’t help but flutter wildly at Jean’s confession. When their eyes met again, Marco felt his legs start to move on their own and bring the two of them closer together. “I really like you,” he whispered thoughtlessly. “Like...More than a friend.”

The duo stood in silence for another few moments while Marco’s words hung in the air. He had no idea what Jean was thinking.  His expression wasn’t exactly unreadable, but he definitely didn’t look grossed out or angry. He looked like he was concentrating, or thinking very hard about something. Finally, after a seemingly endless quiet, Jean spoke up. “I’ve wanted you to kiss me again ever since it happened.”

The freckled teen was utterly shocked yet again. He almost wanted to pinch himself just to see if he was dreaming, but if he was, he sure as hell didn’t want to wake up.

On impulse, Marco closed what was left of the distance between them and pressed his lips to Jean’s, throwing all caution and worry to the wind as he tangled his fingers in Jean’s hair. Jean gasped, but then eagerly pressed close to him, letting his body and heart just do what they wanted. Jean kept the other boy anchored to him by his hips and hungrily kissed him until he got weak in the knees. He pulled away for air, his eyes half-lidded, his hands still grasping Marco’s waist. Marco let his own hands slide down to Jean’s chest as he caught his breath. He could feel how hard Jean’s heart was thumping, but before he could think anymore of it, the hazel-eyed boy was kissing him again.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Krista gasped as she awoke, shooting upright in bed and covering her bare chest with her blanket. 

Ymir, sprawled out butt-naked beside her, opened one eye and smirked. “Eyyy, babe. Thanks for dinner last night,” she mumbled, scooting over and wrapping her arms around Krista’s waist. “Mind if I have some breakfast in bed~?”

“Oh, my god,” Krista said, shaking her head as she tried to hold back a smile. “I can’t even believe you right now.”

Ymir just wiggled her eyebrows and planted a kiss on Krista’s arm. “You’re just jealous because I have the most gorgeous girlfriend ever,” she retorted, sticking her tongue out.

The blonde rolled her eyes and linked her fingers with Ymir’s. “You may have the most gorgeous girlfriend ever, but I have the sweetest, most loving girlfriend ever.”

“Shhhh, don’t tell anyone my secret,” Ymir replied, leaning up and kissing Krista softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bleehhh. I tried to make it cute but also realistic, I have no idea how I did. Do you love it? Do you hate it? i may never know


	24. When the Jerk Realizes He's a Jerk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jean basically goes through a small existential crisis

Marco broke away from Jean again, turning his beet-red face away half in embarrassment, and half to say a quick  _ THANK YOU, JESUS! _ Prayer in his mind.

Jean just blinked, wide eyed, his own face flushed with shock at his own actions.  _ Why did I say that? Why did I  _ **_do_ ** _ that??? Why do I want to do it again????  _ Jean screamed to himself. He stared at Marco’s blushing face, feeling his chest go all fluttery the way it always did when he laid eyes on Marco’s freckles.  _ Shit.  _ He couldn’t escape his feelings, now.

_ He likes me! He really likes me!!!  _ Inhaling deeply, Marco looked back up at Jean’s face. The guy was absolutely petrified.  _ Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. _ “... Are you okay?” The freckled teen’s eyebrows bunched up together with worry and he hesitantly pulled his hands from Jean’s chest. “Jean. Are you okay? You’re not upset, are you?” 

He had no idea what to say. He realized Marco wasn’t touching him anymore and quickly retracted his own hands, curling them into sweaty fists over and over again. “I...Uh…” Jean paused to clear his throat. “D- Didn’t know that, uh...you’re gay,” he stammered, nervously forcing out a chuckle.

Marco’s face fell. “You’re not okay. Crap, I’m really sorry. Do you want to sit down? I’m taking you to sit down,” he announced, gently pushing Jean back toward his workout bench, then carefully easing him down onto it before he sat himself. 

“I...I just…” Jean slowly shook his head, taking a deep breath and trying to relax. “This is all just really sudden, but also...not? I don’t know how to think right now,” he admitted, keeping his eyes downward. “Fuck...My dad is literally going to disown me. You don’t even understand. I’ve been trying  _ so  _ hard to get my dad’s approval my  _ entire _ life, man! _ Christ _ , I’m dead if he finds out that I’m- I’m-” Jean shook his head again, his mind a swirling jumble of his sudden fear, shame, confusion, and guilt.

Marco gently pressed his hand over Jean’s mouth. “Breathe,” he instructed, scooting away right after to give Jean more personal space.

Reluctantly, Jean squeezed his eyes shut and took another deep, heavy breath.  _ I just kissed a guy.  _

_ My best friend. _

_ Shit, _ was all he could coherently think.

“Breathe,” Marco reminded him. Jean nodded and tried with all his might to stay calm. “If you need to say anything, you can. I’m here for you, okay?”

The hazel-eyed boy looked over at Marco, studying his expression for a long, quiet moment before he decided to speak again. “...I...I’m really sorry for this, Marco. I know that ‘I couldn’t control myself’ is a lame excuse, but…I just...I felt...You know…?” He struggled to find the right words.

“Hey, don’t worry about it.  I’m…” Marco could feel his face start to heat up. “I’m not exactly complaining over here. Like,  _ at all _ . But still, if you don’t really feel that way about me, I completely understand. And if you don’t...You know...If you don’t want to be friends anymore, I understand that, too.”

Jean’s eyes snapped wide open in shock. “What?! Why wouldn’t I want to be friends anymore? Why would you say that?”

Marco shrugged and avoided his stare. “You don’t like gay people. I’m gay. And I just admitted my feelings for you. And I kissed you. Need I go on?” he asked, looking down at the floor as he readied himself for a horrible, abrupt awakening from this dream. 

“I...Well…” Jean began, trying to find his words. But there was nothing he could do. The damage had already been done. The years of lusting after Mikasa, right in his face, his I’m-better-than-you attitude towards every openly gay person he knew, all of it.  _ Marco can never un-see how much of an asshole I really am,  _ Jean realized. “Fuck. I really messed up, didn’t I?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry i had this sitting in my folder for the longest time bc i literally went to college for a semester


	25. An Apple A Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> risky business is going on

Eren’s eyes droopily fluttered open. He was surprised to see that the room was flooded by the light of day. He could feel an arm draped around him, and felt his face start to heat up when he looked up and saw that it was Levi sleeping peacefully, cozied up next to him. Eren’s heart raced at the sight of him. His face looked untroubled, for once. It was then that Eren recalled his own troubles.  He could feel a lump forming in his throat and clenched his jaw, trying and failing to fight back tears. Eren dropped his head back on Levi’s shoulder, inadvertently waking the older man with a start. “Eh?...Eren, you okay?” he asked groggily, half-asleep but rubbing Eren’s side where his hand rested.

The response he got was a sniffle, followed by a sudden dampness on his shoulder. Eren’s back quivered with each quiet sob, and if that wasn’t a kick in the balls enough to wake him up, nothing was. However, all Levi could think to do was to hold him closer. So he did.

Eren curled his fist into Levi’s shirt and pressed his face further into the warmth of Levi’s body. “I’m s- sorry,” he spluttered out, only to be silenced by Levi’s reassuring coos.

“Shhh, shhhh, it’s okay, Eren. You don’t need to apologize,” he whispered, gently rubbing Eren’s back. “Especially over something like this. And you can’t blame yourself, either. Will you promise me that? Please?”

Evergreen, overflowing eyes stared up at Levi with a look of astonishment and confusion for a long moment before he nodded fervently, trying desperately to hold on to whatever dignity he had left. Eren hugged Levi harder, squeezing him close, almost to the point of discomfort. Levi didn’t mind it. “Thanks,” Eren mumbled, sitting upright and raising his hand to wipe his eyes. Levi caught his wrist in a flash, gave him a pointed look, and set a clean tissue into his open palm. Eren wiped his eyes, then blew his nose, much to Levi’s relief.

 _What should I do?_ He thought to himself. _I want to make Eren feel better, but there is literally no way to fix his problem._ Levi sighed and his gaze fell to the table, absently looking at the remote control, his phone, and the joint left in the ashtray. There really wasn’t much to do. However, a sudden idea popped into Levi’s head. “I got it. Let’s do shit. Fun shit. For the entire day.”

Eren gave Levi a confused look again, but laughed. “You really aren’t acting like yourself,” he said. “What’s gotten into you?”

Levi rolled his eyes and let out another sigh. “I care about you, that’s all. You feel like shit, and  I don’t want you to.”

His heart immediately aflutter, Eren gazed at Levi as a blush spread all the way across his cheeks to the tips of his ears. No one had ever really said that to him before. Outside his family, at least. The words- no, the meaning _behind_ the words filled Eren’s tummy with butterflies and made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And he knew Levi was telling the truth. He was always so straight-forward, always blunt, straight to the point. It was just one of the many traits Eren found compelling about him. “I love you,” Eren thought aloud, not even thinking about filtering himself.

Levi blinked a few times, astonished by Eren’s sudden admission. In fact, he was downright flabbergasted, unable to speak for a moment.  Within that moment, however, Eren seemed to realize what he said. His eyes went wide and his hand shot up to cover his mouth, but it was already far too late. Levi could literally see Eren’s face gradually turn an intense shade of red from the embarrassment, but the sight of it only made Levi’s heart pound harder.  Without thinking, he leaned in and kissed Eren very, very softly. After a moment he pulled away, keeping Eren’s gaze. He couldn’t just do _nothing._ “I know it’s hard, but can you tell me what kind of cancer she has? You’ve told me before that it was stage four,” he reminded, hoping he wasn’t crossing the line.

Eren visibly swallowed hard, blinking back more tears as he looked away. “There’s a tumor on her pancreas,” he muttered. Levi nodded in affirmation and carefully pulled Eren in for a hug.

“Good job,” he murmured, unsure of what else to say for the moment, exactly. He stood, stretched on his tiptoes, and picked up his cellphone. “Excuse me for a minute, will you? I have to make a phone call. Feel free to take whatever you want to eat out of the fridge,” Levi said, winking reassuringly at Eren’s confused expression before leaving the room and going upstairs.

Eren’s head began to hurt with how hard he was furrowing his brow. He stared after Levi, utterly lost as to how his mom’s cancer could be fixed when she was dangerously close to the end. He didn’t want to think about it, or about his embarrassing admission of love. Sure, the stuff at the Halloween party was gooey, but it wasn’t _love_. Which was a big deal. Eren mindlessly stood and sauntered over to the kitchen, opening the fridge to find all of Levi’s food alphabetized, color-coded, grouped by size, and overall Perfectly Symmetrical™ . “Damn, Kid,” Eren thought aloud, thinking of the OCD-afflicted anime character while his eyes roamed over different types of cookies, brownies, fudge, and some red meat he happened to spot while he pondered over what kind of snack he would want.

Meanwhile, Levi stood in front of the sink, swallowing his pills. After a few gulps of water, he wiped his face, washed his hands, and dialed a number on his phone while padding into his bedroom. Levi bit at his lip ring as he sunk down on the mattress, waiting, agonizing over every unanswered ring until- finally- a gruff voice came on the line. “Hello?”

“Dad,” Levi sighed, “I know I’ve been a complete disappointment as a kid for you, but now, as a human being, I have to ask you a favor.” He took a breath and continued, not wanting to give the man a chance to make any petty arguments. “There’s someone who I care about a _lot_ . His mom has stage four Pancreatic Cancer, and she’s _literally_ knocking on Death’s door right now. Please, Dad, I’ll do anything to repay you, just _help me._ ”

Levi’s jaw clenched as silence swallowed up the line.

Just when Levi was about to speak up again, his father interrupted. “You’ll do anything? You’re serious?”

“Yes. But you _have_ to give his mom the _best_ treatments you have. And I’ll cover the cost. I swear, if one _dollar_ of debt goes to them, I’m out.”

“Hm,” The man thought. “You drive a hard bargain, son. But I’m always eager to save lives. As long as the patient consents, you can bring her to my hospital and I’ll put her in top care. On the House.” Levi could practically hear the smirk form on his father’s face from the other end of the line. “In exchange, however, you have to leave that waste-of-time band of yours and go back to medical school for the next three years.”

Levi squeezed his eyes shut. _I should have known. This is a bad idea._ “Fine,” he spat. _His mother’s life is more important right now. They’ll understand._

“I’m glad you’re finally growing up,” his father commended with a sneer. “And just as an additional peace offering, I’ll send an ambulance to pick her up right now and lead the team to help her myself.”

 _Now he’s just mocking me._ “Aren’t you the sweetest,” he replied flatly. “Let me tell you the address. You better keep your side of the deal.”

"As long as you do, son."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh i'm figuring things out i'm so proud of myself please leave kudos and comments for me my peeps \ouo/


	26. Fun and Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi is on a mission to make Eren feel better at all costs. Caution: comedy and more fluff

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really want to thank everyone who reads my story and continues to read it, even with the gaps in chapter updates. Thank you all so much! This chapter won't add too much to the plot, it's just Eren and Levi having fun. Fun is nice.   
> Please don't forget to tell me what you think, and maybe even suggest what YOU'd like to happen next!  
> Comments and Kudos give me life, my friends <3

After the two reconvened in the living room, Eren munching on a banana, they sat down next to each other and, as hesitant as Levi was, held hands. “We should smoke more pot. Pot is good,” Eren mumbled around his food.  Levi looked at Eren with an expression of shock, but almost couldn’t contain his crooked grin.

“I’ve created a monster. You better not become a stoner because of this,” Levi warned, picking up the joint and lighting it.

Fifteen minutes and a few laughs later, Levi stepped over to his T.V. and pulled out a PS2 remote controller. “I know it’s old school as hell, but…” He got down on one knee, holding the controller out toward Eren. “Will you play ‘Mary Kate and Ashley: Sweet 16- License to Drive’ with me?”

Eren gasped dramatically, pressing his hand to his chest. “Oh, Levi, I thought you’d never ask!” He happily took the device and laughed heartily as Levi started up the PS2 and put the aforementioned game in; plugging in his own controller before he plopped back down on the couch.

“I call dibs on being the purple-haired bitch!” Levi exclaimed, typing in ASSDICK under the Create A Profile menu. “I haven’t touched this game in years, but it used to be a guilty pleasure of mine. I keep it around just in case,” he confided suddenly, his heart catching in his throat at his own openness. Eren grinned at him and leaned on his shoulder. 

“That’s adorable. I love it,” Eren replied dreamily. Levi relaxed. On the screen, the low-grade CGI characters that were somehow supposed to resemble Mary Kate and Ashley stepped in on their surprise Sweet 16 birthday party, looking as surprised and delighted as low-grade CGI characters can be. 

“Oh, God. I forgot how terrible this was. Holy fucking shit, they look like demons,” Levi said, his eyes going wide.  A montage of numbers came up, swirling around with silhouettes of cellphones, four-wheelers, kayaks, cars, and hundreds of other Rich-White-Girl esque things. “I wish I was a pretty white girl,” he mumbled softly, feigning sadness with a sigh.

“You  _ are  _ pretty,” Eren said, gazing at Levi from the corner of his eye with a grin just in time to see him fake a gagging motion. Eren playfully rolled his eyes and looked back at the screen. 

The title card came up in pink, shooting directly toward the camera before another montage began, this time featuring the dysfunctionally computerized Olsen twins. “Jesus Christ, have mercy,” Levi murmured. Once they finally got to the game itself, Levi was the purple-haired girl driving the yellow car, and Eren was the redhead driving the green car. All too soon, the both of them were sucked into the unforgiving CGI Hell and battled one another fiercely to assemble car parts, put icing on cupcakes, guide their cars between cones, and a slew of other oddly-challenging tasks.

Two hours later they were sitting on the floor, finished with videogames, looking over the options of the boxed games they had to play. Levi had moved the coffee table off to the side so they could have room to move around. There before them lay Jenga, Twister, Candyland, and Cards Against Humanity. “Whichever one you want, I’ll do,” Levi declared, folding his arms and giving Eren a cocky look. Eren returned it with a smirk. His hand hovered over Cards Against Humanity for a moment, but then shot over and plucked Twister from its spot on the floor. Eren’s expression turned mischievous and he held the box up proudly. 

“Since we don’t have a third person to spin the wheel, we’ll each decide what to put on what color,” Eren decided. “And each round the loser has to take off an article of clothing. Mandatory.”

Levi snorted. “Tch. Don’t push your luck. You’re gonna have to shower before I play  _ any _ sort of body games with you.” Eren frowned, hardly discreet as he softly sniffed at his armpit. Levi had to hold back laughter again. “Don’t worry, I’m not saying you stink or anything. I just have a shitty, irrational fear that rules my life. As you know.”

Eren looked back up at Levi, his brows furrowed, his eyes sincere. “Hey, it’s okay. I just want to have a good time with you, Levi. Even if I have to wash my hands every fifteen minutes just to hold yours or take a shower before you take any chance of having skin-to-skin contact. You make me happy, I like being with you, and I want to make you happy.”

At that, Levi could do nothing but blush. He was honestly speechless, and Eren took the opportunity to kiss Levi square on the lips. At that moment, everything stopped. Levi’s breath did, at least. Eren’s lips were so soft. He was so heartfelt and sincere. Even if Levi’s fear was irrational, it didn’t matter. Eren honestly cared about him no matter what. Suddenly, Eren stood and grinned the beautiful way he always did. “Can I shower now? I seriously want to play Twister with you,” Eren said.

Levi cleared his throat and glanced up the stairs. “Uh, y- yeah. I’ll get your clothes and lay them out for you. Just go in where we went last night and shower in there.”

Eren nodded and gave a thumbs up. “I’ll be right back, then~” he said, his voice more flirtatious than he initially intended. He went with it, however, shooting finger guns in Levi’s direction and earning a narrowed gaze and suppressed smile from the older man.

Embarrassed of his lame attempt as smoothness, Eren shot up the stairs two at a time, practically flew through Levi’s room, and shut the bathroom door behind him. He let out a long, pent-up sigh. “Good going, Jaeger,” he mumbled, feeling a blush spread throughout the entirety of his face and on the tips of his ears. He pushed himself from the frame of the door and looked at himself closely in the mirror. Apart from his wild hair and slightly-squinty eyes, he looked- and felt- somewhat okay at that point. 

Downstairs, Levi shook his head and began unfolding the Twister mat. He laid the colored tarp down over the living room floor and squirted some hand sanitizer into his palm, rubbing his hands together as he made his way to the laundry room. He folded Eren’s clothes as he plucked them from the dryer, smiling a little when he pulled out Eren’s shirt. It was a little bigger than Levi would need, reminding him of the kind of shirts he liked to wear. It felt good to be small, sometimes.  _ Fuck, I’m high.  _ Levi thought, gathering up the clothing and marching up the stairs into his bedroom. Levi held the bundle in one arm and knocked on the bathroom door with his free hand. “Oi, I’m gonna set your clothes on the sink,” he called, gingerly opening the door.

“Oh- yeah, go for it! Thanks!” Eren said, yelling over the sound of the shower. The silhouette of his body was obvious through the thin curtain, but Levi tried not to look. He quietly set the clothes down on the edge of the sink and shut the door again, returning downstairs to fetch himself some tea from the kitchen. When Eren padded into view, his hair glistening and his shirt sticking to his chest, Levi had to look away again. “Hey,” Eren greeted shyly, offering a smile as his fingers curled and uncurled at his sides. Eren had taken off his bandages to shower, Levi realized, seeing that Eren’s knuckles were bright red where the skin had been broken. The wounds were surrounded by a faint purple-greenish splatter of discoloration and a little scabbing had begun.

“You should let me wrap that up again before we start,” he said, gesturing to Eren’s hands. Eren looked down, as if he’d forgotten about it himself, and flexed his fingers again.

“Oh. Okay, sounds good. They do kinda hurt a little.”

Levi set his cup of tea down and grabbed the first aid kit on his way back to the living room.  He sat down next to Eren again and, after opening the box, snapped on a pair of gloves. “Rate your pain from one to ten,” Levi ordered, carefully examining Eren’s wounds.

“Uh, three,” Eren replied, trying to keep as still as possible for Levi while he gently pressed on the Neosporin. Levi wrapped a thin layer of bandaging on each hand and took off the gloves. 

“Better?”

“Better.”

The two of them looked at the twister mat, then back at each other, just in time for Levi to see the shit-eating grin that formed on Eren’s face. He rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright, let’s get this started.”

“Right hand: Green,” Eren answered proudly, following Levi over to the mat and pressing his palm on the far corner green circle. Levi’s hand rested on the opposite end. “Your turn.”

Levi gave  Eren a challenging look and readily replied, “Left hand: Red.”  The two of them outstretched their arms and put their hands on the red circles closest to them. 

“Left foot: Yellow.” Levi could practically see the evil intent in Eren’s eyes, but he obeyed the command and, with a labored breath, rested his left foot on a yellow circle. Next came Right foot: Blue. Then left hand: Green. Right hand: Blue. Left foot: Red. Soon, their limbs were tangled up with one another and Levi could barely keep up the backbend he was currently trying to maintain.

“F- Fuck, this is hard,” Levi groaned. 

Eren, who was in the compromising position of the crab walk weaved between Levi’s left arm and both legs, nearly doing the splits, scoffed. “Consider yourself...lucky…” he managed, legs quivering. “Crap...How do girls  _ do _ this? Are they  _ wizards _ …?!”

Eren sounded so clueless and dramatic it was comical. Levi lost control of his form as a laugh rumbled his entire body. He collapsed, earning a yelp from Eren as the two of them toppled to the floor atop one another. Levi welcomed the relief with a heavy sigh and dropped his head to the floor, but Eren sat up and shouted with glee, pumping both fists in the air.

“You fell first! That means I  _ win _ !” he declared, happily booping Levi’s nose with the tip of his finger. 

“Yeah, yeah. That was just round one. I’ll bet you a kiss that I can kick your ass in round two.” Levi’s tone was grumpy despite his sweet words. Eren grinned.

“You’re on.”


	27. House Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find out what happened to Carla.

Carla lay on her side in the hospital bed, staring toward the phone in the kitchen and occasionally offering glances to the front door. It had been almost a whole day since Eren ran away. Carla squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip, fighting back tears. The night before replayed in her mind painfully.

Grisha had come into the house during one of her coughing fits. He swiftly made up a glass of water, held her close, and rubbed her back. “Drink,” he’d said. But she couldn’t. Carla coughed harder, feeling something hot and painful come up. Suddenly, her palm was nearly overflowing _. _ “Carla! Oh my God!” Grisha screamed, unknowingly piercing her ears with the sound. She numbly raised her hand, horrified when she saw the blood. It was shocking how easily Grisha scooped her up into his arms, dizzying her until she suddenly found herself sitting in the bathtub. Grisha got her attention and asked her lots of questions regarding dates, places, names, making sure she was coherent. That was when the splitting headache had set in. He brought her prescribed medication and the glass of water and stayed by Carla’s side until she recovered.

They washed off the blood and Grisha helped Carla stand; gingerly ushering her to their once-shared bedroom. He sat her down on the side where she used to lay, and when he said nothing, Carla looked up. There were tears in Grisha’s eyes. “Carla.” He took her hand in his, squeezing gently as he sat beside her. “I’m scared. I’m so scared.”

Carla’s sad, tired eyes filled, and then overflowed, with tears. She reached up; stroking Grisha’s cheek gently.  _ I have to tell the truth _ , she thought, staring up into those soft green eyes she fell in love with. They were pained. She couldn’t stand it any longer. “Grisha, it’s okay. I promise, it’s okay. I’m ready.”

“Don’t  _ say  _ that!” he snapped. “...I’m sorry. I just know the decline is getting rapid and…”

He trailed off, leaving them both sitting in sullen silence.

“I bought life insurance,” Carla whispered numbly. “Three months ago. I’m sorry.”

“You  _ what _ ??” She could see Grisha’s entire body go stiff with shock.

“I can’t just leave my family in debt!” She sobbed. “I’m sorry, okay? I just- I just want to protect you all. I’m...I’m sorry.”

Just then, three soft knocks rapped at the door frame. Mikasa stood halfway in the hall, halfway in the room, quiet with a flat expression. But her eyes were pained, too. “Sorry. I just wanted to say that I’m staying in tonight. I’ll be in my room.” As quickly as she had appeared, Mikasa left, closing the door behind her.

They both stared at the door for a long moment, each somewhat lost in their own thoughts before Carla broke the silence with more truth. “Mikasa knows. She’s been helping me keep the insurance secret from you and Eren. She got the mail, took all the phone calls, everything. I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

“I understand why you wouldn’t want Eren to know. He’s vulnerable. But  _ me _ ? Why you would keep a secret like that from your own husband?” Grisha asked, his brows furrowed with confusion.

Carla sniffled and wiped her eyes with her sleeves until each harbored a damp spot on the inner wrist. “Because I knew it would devastate you,” she began softly, “You and I are the only ones who know all the details. You know I only have one more month, but you won’t even- We’re in debt, and-” Carla’s breath caught in her throat with another hollow sob. Her eyes overflowed with tears again. “Please... G- Grisha,  _ please _ \- Just let me go. I can feel it coming, Grisha.”

“What about Eren, huh?” He growled, standing with a huff. “When are you going to tell him you’re ready to die? When are you going to tell him about the Life Insurance?”

Carla blinked away more tears. “I didn’t want either of you to find out until I was gone, okay?!”

His expression hardened, his hands curling into fists. “Eren has been through enough, Carla! If you don’t tell him about this  _ tonight _ , I will.”

_ Tonight _ ? “Grisha- please - just wait a little longer! He doesn’t know!” Carla sobbed, nearly choking on her heavy sniffles.

“You can’t keep it from him forever, Carla! How do you think he’d feel with a pile of Life Insurance money and no idea how it got there?!”

“I don’t know, damn it! I don’t know!” Carla yelled back, her voice breaking in a few spots. She was barely holding it together. Her next words were quieter. “Eren and Mikasa are just starting to get their lives together. Just starting to be happy again. Am I supposed to just take that away…?”

Grisha sighed audibly. “Carla, the longer you stall, the worse it’ll be. You only have a few  _ weeks _ , for Christ’s sake!”

Carla was stunned into silence by Grisha’s tone. The silence lasted just long enough for the both of them to jump at the sudden sound of a thump outside their door, like someone had fallen down. Almost as quickly, the heard a door slam shut. “What was that?” She whispered frantically, looking back at her husband. Grisha stepped over toward the door, but before he could even get past the bed, the door burst open.

“Eren’s gone!” Mikasa shrieked, looking shockingly distraught. 

 

Ever since that moment, Carla’s eyes ached from crying. She had never cried so much in her life.  _ How did I mess up so badly? _ She asked herself. _ My husband hates me and my baby is gone. Oh, God. I’ll probably never see him again.  _

Suddenly nauseous, Carla leaned over the bedrail and vomited into the trash can that had been put there for her. Then she shakily reached for the glass of water. Mikasa had been out looking for Eren since daylight broke, and promised to be back by dark. Grisha was in his small, cramped office, using the only other landline in the apartment to call every person he knew in the immediate area, asking frantically if anyone had seen his son. She knew that he didn’t want to speak to her, and she didn’t blame him. He loved her, and after all this time, she was just going to leave him without any fight. He was hurt.

Three hard knocks at the front door pulled Carla from her guilt-swirled thoughts. She quickly wiped her eyes and looked at the door, knowing that it couldn’t possibly have been Eren or Mikasa.

Grisha emerged from his office just as three more loud knocks sounded through the apartment. He strode to the front door and pulled it open, taken aback when he saw a familiar face accompanied by two paramedics. “Kenny?!” 

“Grisha, long time, no see. If you’ll permit me, my associates and I are here to take your wife to emergency treatment. Gratis.” The man grinned.

Carla saw Grisha’s expression shift. He looked leery of the man he’d called Kenny, a name Carla could only associate with a very old medical school colleague of Grisha’s for the few years he attended more than thirty years ago. So  _ this  _ was the genius student?

The man entered the living room confidently, striding over to Carla and taking her hand in his icy grip. “Dr. Kenneth Ackerman, a pleasure.”

“Uh...Carla Jaeger…” She forced a polite smile and shook his hand.

“Mrs. Jaeger, do I have your consent to take you to treatment?”

Her eyes shot over to Grisha, who carefully looked at the doctor, then gave her a single nod. She looked back up at the eerie man. “Why are you doing this?”

“When your situation was brought to my attention, I couldn’t possibly bring myself to just let a helpless woman die. So, here I am.” Dr. Ackerman grinned again. The sight of it was weirdly unsettling, but Grisha hadn’t said anything to argue with him. 

Carla nodded understandingly. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

“Excellent,” he replied, stepping aside to allow the two EMTs to take Carla out of the apartment and into the ambulance. “Care to join her?” the doctor asked, gesturing toward the door with a smirk. A shiver raced up Grisha’s spine at the oddly threatening question. He said nothing, turning away and walking into his office. A moment later he reappeared with a note and a pushpin. After placing the note on the wall, the two left the apartment and shut the door behind them.


	28. Emotion Soup

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Closure begins as Carla receives help.

It was four-thirty in the afternoon exactly when Eren leapt into the air with his wii remote victoriously. “Hell yeah!” His Mii character had an equally proud look as it celebrated in the bowling alley.

Levi groaned in annoyance up at the ceiling. “Can’t believe this shit. You come into  _ my house, _ play  _ my Wii,  _ and then you have the nerve to kick my ass in every. Single. Game. For  _ shame. _ ”

Eren snorted and shook his head. “Have you ever considered being an actor?”

“Once, in college. There was a group off-campus who did Shakespeare shit in an empty warehouse. I joined them a couple times, read some lines, but never stuck with it.” Levi shrugged.

Eren side-stepped a little closer to him with a knowing smile. “Well, you’re a really good actor,” he professed softly.

Levi smirked and rolled his eyes, reaching up to gently flick the tip of Eren’s nose. “What are you, a boy scout?”

There was a knock at the door, dissolving the moment between them. Levi’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. He wasn’t expecting anyone. He and Eren shared one more look, then both headed over to the front door. 

“ _ Mikasa?! _ ” Eren yelped, yanking the door open wide as soon as he recognized her. She jumped inside and hugged him hard, squeezing him as tight as she could. 

“Do you have  _ any  _ idea how hard it was for me to  _ find  _ you??” she asked, stepping back to give him a once-over. Her entire body visibly tensed when she set her eyes on Eren’s bandaged hands. “What happened?” Mikasa’s eyes bore into Levi threateningly. 

“Woah, wait, calm down. I did this to myself,” Eren explained, stepping between them with his hands up. “Levi’s the one who wrapped me up. He’s letting me stay here while I…” He took a deep breath. “Figure things out.”

Mikasa squeezed her eyes shut; clearly feeling upset and guilty.

“Why don’t you two sit down?” Levi offered, gesturing to the living room with a glance.

“Why don’t we  _ all  _ sit down?” Eren countered, quickly grabbing on to his hand. There was no way he could face Mikasa alone at a time like this. And although the sudden contact was a shock to Levi, he didn’t dare pull away. He knew this was serious.

Mikasa shut the front door mechanically and followed the duo over to the couch, perching herself tensely on the edge of a cushion next to her brother. She could feel his eyes bore into her and could only imagine how betrayed and hurt he must have felt. But there was no way for her to sugarcoat it. “Eren...You and dad were in denial. And with all the debt, she knew that it was the right thing to do. Just because the two of you don’t want to think she’ll die, that doesn’t mean she won’t die.” Mikasa’s voice had a ghostly quiver.  Her eyes began to well up. “We  _ need  _ the money, Eren. I  _ have  _ to take care of you.”

This time it was Eren whose eyes shut painfully, fighting back tears. “I know she’s dying, Mikasa. I know.” Levi’s brow furrowed in concern for both siblings. He squeezed Eren’s hand supportively, but said nothing. There were no words that could possibly make this better for either of them. Eren took a deep breath and continued. “I just...I thought we had no secrets. I thought you would  _ tell  _ me if…If…” tears spilled over and ran down Eren’s face. 

Mikasa’s heart broke. She hesitantly reached over, resting her palm on Eren’s knee. “She...We...We both knew it would hurt you. And dad. We couldn’t just throw it in your face like that. We were going to tell the both of you, I swear. We just...couldn’t find the right time yet. I’m so sorry, Eren.” Mikasa squeezed his knee and gave him a pleading look. “Please, Eren. Please, just come home and spend time with her while you can. She’s devastated that you’re gone.”

At that, Eren’s expression dropped. He hadn’t even thought about how his actions would affect his mom, not once. “Fuck,” he spat, standing up and impulsively making his way to the front door. “I can’t believe I- Shit- I have to see her. God, I’m so  _ stupid _ -”

“Woah woah woah,” Levi cut in, keeping a tight hold on Eren’s hand so he couldn’t go off and do anything rash. “Mikasa, did you drive here?” he asked, turning to face the girl who had mirrored her brother’s actions. She shook her head.

“No, I’ve been running and catching whichever buses I could until I made it here. For once it’s a  _ good thing  _ Eren never shuts up about you or this place,” she replied, gazing over with a gratefully bittersweet expression toward her brother.

Swallowing a gag at the thought of public transport, Levi looked up at the clock. It had been at least a few hours since he’d called the favor in, so Eren’s mother had to be at the hospital by now. “I’ll drive you,” Levi decided, standing and swiping his keys from the coffee table. Eren didn’t need to hear anymore; shocking Levi with his strength as he easily pulled him along to the front door, unstoppable this time. Mikasa followed the two, silently, all the way to the Mercedes, and took the back seat.

Eren immediately jumped into the passenger seat, threw his seatbelt on, and bounced his leg impatiently as the other two seemed to do the same at half his speed. Finally, Levi turned on the ignition and pulled out of the driveway. “Thank you, Levi,” Eren reminded himself to say, hesitant to take his hand so brazenly again. Still, unable to keep from touching him  _ somehow _ , Eren opted to grasp at the end of Levi’s sleeve.

Levi stared ahead, unblinking, and took Eren’s hand in his. “You don’t have to thank me for anything,” he assured softly, keeping his eyes on the road even as he felt Eren’s gaze melt into him lovingly. Levi simply squeezed his hand.

“Hey,” Mikasa began, breaking the moment. “This isn’t the way to our apartment.” She pointed to an unfamiliar street sign they were passing, certain that it had to be the opposite direction from their home. 

“I know,” Levi replied cooly, much to Mikasa’s surprise. At this point, she was getting tired.

“What gives? Where are you taking us, then?” she demanded, on immediate Red-Alert. _ Where could he be taking us? What can I use to protect Eren? Would he tuck and roll from the car if I told him to?  _ She looked at the passing landmarks, burning them into her mind.  _ At the next red light, I’ll grab the seatbelt and- _

“The hospital.”

“Hospital?” Eren and Mikasa questioned at once, both their voices corresponding with worry and slight panic.

“Yes, the hospital. And before you ask any questions, I need you both to know that I can’t make any promises about your mom’s condition. All I know is my dad is the best doctor I know, and if everything works out, you won’t have any bills from this.” Levi pulled into the closest open space to the ER he could find and parked the car before realizing the both of them were looking at him with wide, perplexed eyes and hanging jaws. The stunned silence continued, and Levi’s eyes narrowed as he glanced between the two of them. “I’m starting to see your connection,” he stated bluntly, his eyes narrowing further. More silence.  “...Is it  _ okay _ that I’m trying to help?”

The question seemed to snap Eren out of his awed daze. “Oh my god,  _ yes! Levi _ , I- How did you-?  _ Why _ -?” he stammered, unable to fully comprehend what Levi had said. Did he mean what Eren thought he meant? He said there’d be no bills, how is that possible? Why would he do something so drastic? Did that mean his mother was getting treatment? Could she possibly get any better? So many questions were ping-ponging against every corner of Eren’s brain. It was impossible to focus on just one.

Mikasa was shocked for those, and a completely different set of reasons. The first thing she realized was  _ He’s not gonna kill us.  _ Her second realization was  _ Damn, he actually wants to help us.  _ “Yeah. Why?”

Levi shrugged. “Maybe because I  _ care  _ about you and your family,” he replied, looking at Eren with a piercing, sincere gaze.

Practically ripping off his seatbelt, Eren threw his arms around Levi’s neck and held on as tight as he could. “ _ Thank you _ ,” Eren breathed into his shoulder.

Forcing his body to relax in the embrace, Levi gave Eren a gentle squeeze and cleared his throat, painfully aware of Mikasa’s presence during the semi-intimate moment. “Do you want to go in and see her?” Levi offered. 

Only then did Eren pull away, hopping out of the car and barely crying out “ _ Yes!”  _ in time for Levi to hear.

“Eren! Wait!!” Mikasa called out, undoing her seatbelt and following after her brother. 

Levi sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead with his fingertips. “You gotta keep up with them,” he reminded himself monotonously, stepping out of the car and locking the doors before breaking into a slight jog to catch up to Eren and Mikasa. 

When the trio made it to the front desk, Levi was the first to speak. “Page Doctor Ackerman and tell him his son is here to see him,” he ordered. The young man, clearly aware of Levi’s authority, sat straight up in his computer chair and picked up the telephone, pressing a button to activate the intercom.

“Dr. Ackerman to the ER, Dr. Ackerman to the ER,” the man paged, replacing the phone on the jack and looking back up at the three before him. “He should be here in a few minutes. Please, have a se-”

“Levi, so good to see you, son.” Kenny interrupted, the elevator doors from which he’d emerged having yet to even open completely before he stepped off and toward Levi. With a somewhat eerie, satisfied grin, he looked over Mikasa, then Eren. A simultaneous shiver went up all three of their spines. “Ah, you must be the Jaeger kids. I have your mom safe and sound up in room 66F. Would you like to see her?”

“Yes!” Eren replied eagerly.

“Wait- what kind of treatments are you giving our mom, exactly?”  Mikasa asked, keeping her eyes on the doctor while her feet instinctively followed behind Eren. He hardcore button-mashed the upward arrow icon on the elevator, feeling desperation and anxiety growing inside him with each passing second. 

The doctor followed Mikasa like a shadow, casually explaining the highly-advanced new form of chemotherapy they were using on Carla and the slow but positive progress that was already beginning to show on her vitals and records. Chilled by having to hear the creepy way his father spoke about medical procedures, Levi brushed past his father and rested his hand atop Eren’s.  _ Fuck it, _ he thought, rubbing his thumb across Eren’s skin.  _ He clearly needs this. I can do this. I can do this. _ Eren’s gorgeous green eyes met with Levi’s, and he could feel the younger relax at his touch.  _ There we go. _

The trio-turned-quartet stepped between the elevator doors as soon as they opened; the doctor still going on about the other treatments to Mikasa and Levi holding Eren’s hand to keep him calm. He pressed the button to go to the sixth floor, and linked his fingers with Eren’s as the letters of the alphabet lit up with each floor they passed.

A _. Ding. _

B. _ Ding. _

C. _ Ding. _

D. _ Ding. _

E. _ Ding. _

Now was the moment of truth.

F. _Ding._

The doors opened and Eren shot through them; yanking Levi along as he searched for room 66. There. The third door on the right. Eren pulled Levi inside with Mikasa and the doctor still in tow, his heart pounding hard when he finally saw his mother’s face. 

Carla was in a new hospital bed; one with machines attached. She had two IVs in her arm, a fingertip clipped in a pulse oximeter. She was smiling at Grisha, who was sitting right by her side. 

“Mom!” Eren burst out, running to her and hugging her as gently as he could physically handle at that moment.

Surprised beyond belief, Carla hugged Eren back with her free arm as hard as she could. “Oh my God, you’re back- You’re  _ back _ , Eren- my baby,” she whimpered, burying her crying face in his shoulder. “I thought you’d never- I thought you hated me,” she stammered.

Eren squeezed her a teensy bit harder as tears overflowed from his eyes again. “What? I could never,  _ ever _ hate you, mom. I’m  _ so _ happy to see you again,” he sniffled. Grisha gave his son a pat on the back and smiled supportively at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all i got for now guys i'm sorry


	29. Closure

Just as the shock and elation of his sudden arrival started to dissipate, Eren pulled away and Carla noticed his bandaged hands. Worry immediately set in. “Oh God, what happened? Are your hands broken? Did you get in a fight? Is anyone dead? And where were you??” She asked, growing more frantic with the increased beeping of the heart monitor beside her.

“Honey, breathe. He’s going to be okay. You need to worry about yourself right now,” Grisha reminded gently, glancing from her to Eren. “I’m relieved to have you back in once piece, Eren,” Grisha said, giving Eren’s shoulder a squeeze before pulling away. Quieter, he added, “She’s right though; if there are bodies we need to know about it.”

“Nobody’s dead you guys, Jesus,” Eren muttered, flexing his fingers until he winced. “I just punched some stuff because…” He paused, trying to find the words- any words, really- to describe the night and his feelings throughout. Carla gingerly rested her hand in his and smiled softly in understanding.

“I’m sorry, Eren. For everything. I should have told you. The both of you,” she looked at her husband and son, their green eyes reflecting beautifully back at her. There was nothing she loved more in the world. Carla then motioned for Mikasa to come closer and took Grisha’s hand. “Mikasa, I’m sorry for dragging you into this. Keeping secrets is a terrible thing and I shouldn’t have made you sneak around; especially with something so adult.”

She turned her gaze to Eren. “Sweetheart, you are the most amazing person I know. My son. My best friend. And I will  _ always  _ strive to be here for you. I love you, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. I shouldn’t have kept this secret from you. I’m sorry.”

Looking at Grisha, Carla smiled grimly. “Honey, you are the love of my life. I would never,  _ ever  _ try to hurt you. Or leave you, for that matter. I just know that, well, there’s no way that I’ll survive this. I’m not saying I’m gonna die tomorrow, or even three weeks from now. I just want to leave the people I love with  _ something. _ Anything. And until I go, all of you-”

Carla looked the three of them each in the eyes for a moment before finishing determinedly, “Until I go, I’m going to fight as hard as I can. For you.”

Grisha blinked rapidly; ridding himself of potential tears. He smiled at his wife and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “Thank you, darling,” he murmured gratefully.

Eren’s tears were already flowing again and Mikasa had wiped her tears away, both smiling as they leaned in to hug their mom. 

Meanwhile, not two feet from the loving family, Levi stood awkwardly next to his father.

“It looks like they’re getting along well,”  Kenny said.

“Yep,” Levi replied coldly.

The silence stretched on between them. “I’ve got Mrs. Jaeger hooked up to some of our finest equipment, I’ll have you know. She’s being treated with not only chemo, but immunotherapy, hormone therapy, and radiation. Only the newest, top-of-the-line treatments, of course,” Kenny boasted.

Levi narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “I know you’re not just adding all that in from the kindness of your heart. What’s in it for you?”

There was that eerie, creepy grin again. “Just as an incentive to stay in school and away from those buffoons this time, I’ve decided to bill  _ you  _ for everything I use to treat Mrs. Jaeger if I find out you’re doing anything  I don’t like. It’s already at around, what was it? Thirty grand? Yes, thirty grand and steadily growing. One wrong move and all that debt is my gift to you. I hope I’ve made myself clear.”

_ Motherfucker _ , Levi thought, clenching his jaw. “Crystal.”

Before he could comment any further on his dad’s dickheadedness, the doctor pushed hard on Levi’s back, shoving him toward Carla and everyone else. “Mrs. Jaeger, would you like to meet the young man who made all this possible?” he casually announced, stepping over and gesturing to his son in an off-proud kind of way. “This is my son, Levi.”

“Levi…?” Carla narrowed her eyes for a moment before a smile broke through the confusion. “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe it! Why would you do something like that? Come here, come here, let me hug you.”

Levi obediently stepped closer and let Carla wrap her arms around him. He could tell she was squeezing with all her strength, but it hardly felt tight to him in the slightest. Levi simply patted her back and offered a small smile. “Well, besides the fact that you’re a kick-ass person, you mean everything to someone I care about, and that’s enough for me to do something about it.”

Eren’s heart melted as he gazed at the two of them, feeling fluttery and dreamy and giddy all at the same time. _ Levi did this for me _ , Eren thought happily.  _ No one’s ever done anything like this for me. _

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Jean sat across from Marco at the local diner, as they always did, but...Things were a little different. Now painfully conscious of his own- slightly confusing- sexuality, Jean wrung the end of his sleeves between his fingers and thumbs while his eyes darted around. He felt like everyone was watching him. He felt like everyone  _ knew.  _ “This was a bad idea,” he began, swallowing hard.

“Don’t be a child. Eat your sandwich,”  Marco replied pointedly, glancing down at the sub sitting on Jean’s plate.

With a pout, Jean kept his eyes down and picked up his sandwich. After a few bites of the uncomfortably phallic food, he started to relax a little. The bread and lettuce were definitely calming his stomach. When he set it on his plate again, there was practically only a bite left.

“Feel better?”  Marco asked tentatively, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

“You keep asking me that,” Jean grumbled, playing absently with his remaining scraps.

“I can’t help but feel like you need me to,” he replied. After his final gulp, Jean gave a single understanding nod. “Look, I know this is really scary for you. That’s why I’m here to talk if you need me. Believe me, I’m pretty sure I understand what you’re going through.”

Jean furrowed his brow. “How could you possibly know what  _ I’m  _ going through right now?” he asked, looking more confused than offended.

Marco fought to roll his eyes. “Have you met my mother? Like, ever?”

“...Fair point. So, what? Are we supposed to just talk everything out and it’ll all be okay? Can we ever go back to normal? What if it doesn’t feel like we can? Do I tell people? Do I have to hang out with other gay-? Er,” Jean cleared his throat, still clearly uncomfortable with thinking about it.

In the most Only-A- Friend way possible, Marco reached across the table and patted Jean’s hand. Unbeknownst to him, Jean’s temperature and heart rate flared. Much, much more than usual. “Yes, talking makes closure and closure is important. I don’t think things can  _ completely  _ be normal again, but if it’s what you want, I’ll do my best. No, you don’t have to hang out with others, and no, you don’t have to tell anyone. It’s nobody’s business but yours, you know?”

Jean soaked up Marco’s words as he studied the sweet, selfless, sincere expression on his cutely freckled face. He instinctively turned his hand over and grasped Marco’s fingers, asking in an almost urgent whisper, “What do  _ you  _ want, Marco?”

The sudden question caught the freckled boy off guard. “What... _ I  _ want…?” He looked down at their hands, noticing how warm Jean’s palm was. A bit sweaty, even. It was perfect. He was caught up in thought for a long moment, carefully thinking of how he felt and what he wanted. He had to be honest. “I want...I want to make you happy. I guess, well, I wanna be your Mikasa,” he admitted, voice soft.

There was another quiet moment between them, the bustling of other restaurant-ees and employees going about their business fading into focus as the pair looked at one another, both a little scared. Neither one prepared.

Beauty and the Beast.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Several hours passed, Dr. Ackerman coming in and out every so often to twiddle and tweak with some of the machines Carla was hooked up to. Eventually, when he came back in, the doctor stepped over to the small crowd of visitors. “Excuse me, I hate to bother the family, but it’s nearly bedtime for Mrs. Jaeger. She needs her rest, you know,” he reminded.

Levi sighed and pulled out his keys out of his pocket. “I guess I’ll get out of here,” he said, giving Eren a smile before he turned away. 

“Wait- Levi!” He felt a tug on his sleeve and turned back to find Eren with a weird look on his face.

“I...Well, mom’s not coming home tonight, so…” He looked up at Levi with those puppy dog eyes and that was it.

With a sigh, Levi looked back at Mikasa, Carla, and Grisha. “Is it okay with them?”

Eren turned away from Levi for a second, mouthing ‘Can I go with him?’ to his family. Carla gave an encouraging thumbs-up, Mikasa gave a single nod, and Grisha shrugged his shoulders and mouthed back ‘ _ Can  _ you?’ Giving a knowing grin to his dad, Eren turned back around and latched on to Levi’s arm. “They’re totally cool with it,” he assured, waving goodbye to everyone as they walked out together.

When the couple got back inside Levi’s car, Eren couldn’t contain himself anymore. “Can I kiss the fuck out of you?” he asked, turning to face Levi in his seat. 

“Kiss the fuck out of me?” he repeated, cocking an eyebrow. “Yes, why-?”

Eren lunged across the center console between them as soon as he heard  _ yes. _ He kissed Levi hard, anchored his hands in Levi’s hair, and twisted his tongue in Levi’s mouth in ways he never thought possible before that moment. He finally pulled away after a good thirty seconds of it, gasping. “Because,” he panted softly, nibbling at Levi’s lip ring. “You’re the best boyfriend  _ ever. _ ” 

Levi swallowed hard. Eren was definitely getting better at kissing. And biting. His entire body let out a shiver, one that did not go unnoticed by Eren. The younger grinned and leaned back into his seat the way he was supposed to, and Levi shook his head, cracking a smile as he started the ignition and started the rather short drive back to his house.

When they finally entered Levi’s home, the duo went straight back to the couch; Eren plopping down and taking a deep, stabilizing breath. Levi remained standing. “I’ve gotta take a shower,” he announced, heading over to the staircase.

“Can I play the Wii while you shower?” Eren asked, following Levi’s butt with his eyes while he hopped two at a time up the stairs.

“Knock yourself out,” Levi called down to him. He shut the bedroom door, made his way to the bathroom, and began his tedious process. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all I've got for now, everyone. I know i know i'm garbage


	30. Hot Tamale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks again to everyone who's actually still reading this. I don't know who you are or where you're from, but you're the bomb-diggity. Thank you <3

Eren happily sent his Mii to the bowling alley, grinning at the sight of Levi’s Mii in the background. He bowled for about ten minutes, then switched to tennis. After fifteen minutes of that, he started to get bored. What could be taking Levi so long? Eren gazed up the stairs thoughtfully, trying not to let certain fantasies cloud up his head. He tapped his fingers on the Wii remote and fidgeted with it in his hands. A whole minute passed.  _ I should go up there. _

He contemplated the thought for another whole minute, and stood up. “What if something happened to him?” Eren pondered softly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Levi emerged,  _ shirtless,  _ and ruffling a towel through his hair as he came down the stairs.

“Don’t even tell me you were thinking about coming up there,” Levi scolded teasingly, folding up his towel when he was satisfied with the dryness of his hair. Eren replied with silence, his eyes fixated on Levi’s impossibly gorgeous upper half.

First off, Levi had abs. Not too much ab and not too little. Just the right amount of ab. It was mouthwatering. Second, Levi’s ivory skin was covered in tattoos. Eren immediately spotted a bat wing peeking out of Levi’s sweatpants at the hip bone and an incredibly detailed human heart painted his side gorgeously. Levi turned to go into the laundry room and Eren noticed the large semicolon on his bicep that seemed to accentuate the muscle beneath, and a phoenix rising from it’s ashes that covered most of Levi’s absolutely delicious back. The bird was especially beautiful and strange; the feathers were intensely detailed and vibrantly colored, one wing white and the other blue. Both stretched upward as the bird freed itself from the clutches of death.  Beneath it, in the lower left corner just above the beautiful ass done no justice by the sweatpants, was another tattoo. It was a small pair of cherries connected at the stem.  _ Why is he so hot?  _ Eren wondered to himself, still staring after Levi even when his god-like form disappeared from view. Only then he realized how hard his heart was hammering in his chest.  _ At least the blood flow’s staying north… _

Levi returned as quickly as he left, but wore a shirt. He saw Eren’s shoulders fall in disappointment and snorted. “If I wasn’t so flattered and you weren’t my boyfriend, I’d probably destroy you,” he joked, coming around the couch to sit next to Eren. 

“Where did you  _ get  _ your tattoos? Why do you have a phoenix? Why are its’ wings different colors? Do you work out? Where do you work out? Is that a bat on your hip? Do you have any-”

“More?” Levi finished, immediately making Eren shut up. As his face quickly began to redden, Eren nodded. 

“You’re such a puppy,  I swear,” he added with a smirk. “Yes, I have more tattoos. Yes, it’s a bat. And the phoenix is just a reminder that I’ve recovered from some bad shit. I’ve got wings on my back so I can fly away. The wings of freedom, or something like that.” 

“I love that,” Eren admitted bashfully, his gaze drifting back to the shirt that oh-so-sadly covered up the work of art that was Levi’s body. “Can I see the other tattoos…?” he asked tentatively.

Levi snorted and rolled his eyes. “No,” he decided. At that, Eren immediately deflated.

“....Can I look at the ones I already saw again?” he asked. Levi sighed. 

“Fine, fine, if it’ll make you quiet about it.” After a moment of hesitation, simply from the butterflies, Levi took the bottom of his shirt in both hands and pulled it off in one fluid motion. “Here,” he said, turning his back to Eren so he could more closely examine the tattoo.

“Woah…” Eren leaned in, intently studying all the beautiful designs laced within the majestic bird. “Can I touch?” he asked, looking up at the back of Levi’s head when addressing him.

_ ….I just showered, _  Levi thought.  _ Sigh. Fuck it. I’ll just shower again later.  _ “Sure,” he replied.

Tentatively, Eren’s fingers brushed down the length of Levi’s spine, down the center of the phoenix. Then his touch went to the wings, tracing the motifs within the feathers. Although completely enamored with the tattoo, Eren couldn’t help but notice how Levi shivered at his touch. He continued, sliding his fingers along the outline of the phoenix. Levi was quiet, but stiff. Nervous? Eren leaned up again, closing in just behind Levi’s ear. “Do you like this?”

To his shock, Levi nodded. Eren remained gentle as he softly kissed each wing. His fingers glided down to the cherries, poking them and appreciating the amount of muscle underneath. He really,  _ really  _ wanted to dip his fingertips into those sweatpants, but refrained, opting to run his fingers back up Levi’s spine. The elder shivered again, and Eren grinned. He gently pressed kisses up to the nape of Levi’s neck, feeling the electricity between them rise the higher he got.

“You’re killing me,” Levi sighed, trying to remain as still as possible. Shockingly, Eren didn’t stop what he was doing. The kisses trailed over Levi’s neck, and he couldn’t help but let his head lull to the side. God, it felt good. Eren’s lips were really soft and he felt so sincere. “Damn,” Levi mumbled.

Eren hummed, kissing up to Levi’s earlobe. “Is this okay?” Eren whispered. Levi shivered again.

“Y-Yes,” he said, still fruitlessly trying to keep his cool. Eren’s hands moved up to Levi’s shoulders and gently squeezed. “How about this?”

Levi bit his lip. “Mm-Hm…”

Having gained a bit more confidence, Eren softly nipped at Levi’s earlobe and squeezed his shoulders again. That was simply too much for him to handle. Levi shot upward, standing and taking a long, deep breath. Eren’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no. Did I do something wrong??”

At that, Levi spun around and threw his hands out to prevent any more assumptions from being said. “No no no, you didn’t do anything wrong. You actually did everything  _ right. _ That’s why we need to stop.”

Eren felt proud as Hell, but still pouted. “But...Do you  _ want  _ to stop? Because I don’t want to stop. But if you do want to stop, that’s totally okay.”

Levi sighed again and looked up at the clock. “It’s getting pretty late. Why don’t we get some sleep, hm?”

Eren frowned, but didn’t push it. “I get the couch, right?” he asked.

“Yup,” Levi said, picking up his shirt. The pillow and blanket were still present from the night before, bunched up at the end of the couch, and Levi felt weird about making the sleeping space up again. So instead, wistfully, Levi leaned down and kissed Eren goodnight. “Sleep tight,” he murmured.

“Mnn. You too,” Eren mumbled back, grabbing the pillow and throwing the blanket over himself. “Goodnight, Levi,” he added, snuggling up and closing his eyes.

Levi smiled softly. “Goodnight,” he replied.  _ Thank God this was easy,  _ he thought, making his way to the stairs. Once in his bedroom, Levi plopped down on the bed and sighed deeply. “Fuck, he’s good.”  He chuckled softly and pushed himself up; going to get ready for his next- and hopefully last- shower.

When darkness consumed the entire house hours later, Eren tossed and turned. He was asleep and snoring softly, but his face was troubled, twisted up in an expression of fear and panic. He flipped over on his side, then flipped to his back, inadvertently throwing off the blanket. Eren’s fists clenched hard and his whole body was in a cold sweat. He flipped over again, falling to the floor with a hard  _ thud _ . “AH!” Eren yelped, not realizing, for a moment, where he was. He panted heavily, looking around the dim living room. Even as things started to come into focus, Eren’s terror persisted. He glanced up to the second floor, and decided.

Eren stood and draped the blanket over his shoulders before he quietly scurried up the stairs; half worried that the things he dreamt about would chase after him. Gingerly, he knocked on Levi’s bedroom door.

Silence.

He knocked again.

Silence.

Just as Eren urgently raised his fist once more,  Levi pulled the door open. He was wearing different clothes than before and his face looked even more tired and Done than usual. “Sorry,” Eren began, glancing worriedly behind him. “I- I had a really bad nightmare.”

Levi’s  eyes narrowed. “Jesus, you okay?”

Eren shook his head.

Sighing softly, Levi stepped aside. He was too tired to deal with this any other way. “Get in here.”

Eren perked up, pleasantly surprised at Levi’s words. He quickly obeyed, hurrying past Levi before he shut the door behind them. Levi shuffled over to the bed and got back under the covers, patting the other side of the mattress to gesture for Eren to lay with him. Eren’s heart immediately went aflutter, and he felt safe. He carefully pulled up the covers and, nestled in his own, climbed beneath. He let out a satisfied sigh and gazed at Levi in the darkness. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Levi’s eyes were closed and he didn’t reply. Instead, he reached out and patted Eren’s hair very softly, and didn’t stop. Eren found himself  _ mmm _ ing happily at the soothing touches, his eyes drooping and feeling heavier by the second. Levi’s fingers were so gentle. So...caring. Before Eren realized it, he’d fallen asleep again. This time, the nightmares were gone.


	31. Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so insecure about this chapter you guys i have no idea if it's good or garbage so if anyone can maybe leave a comment with suggestions to make it better or something that would be so appreciated QuQ

“Levi. Levi, wake  _ uuuuup, _ ” Eren urged as he began hamboning softly on Levi’s blanketed leg. The elder cracked one eye open.

“The fuck are you doing?”

As soon as he spoke, Eren bounced up like a puppy. “Oh, good, you’re up! Let’s go see my mom!” he said, hardly aware of Levi’s question. “Please please please, Levi? I just woke up and remembered where she was and what you did and I  _ have  _ to go see her! And also thank you. Again.” He promptly leaned in and pressed a small kiss on Levi’s forehead, which was as sweet as it was unexpected. Levi sat up and stretched, fighting back a yawn as he slipped out of bed.

“Don’t you want breakfast first?” he asked groggily, motioning for Eren to get off the bed before he pulled the sheets off.

Eren eagerly helped remove all the pillowcases and bundled them up in his arms with his blanket and a sheet. “Not hungry, I just want to see my mom,” he said.

Levi shrugged and picked up what little Eren had missed; just the fitted sheet and the comforter. “Alright, but you have to take a shower. You didn’t last night.”

“But Leeeevviiiiiiii,” Eren began.

“No buts. Butts are for squeezing and spanking, not excuses.”

Disgruntled and embarrassed, but accepting the time setback, Eren followed Levi down to the laundry room and dumped the bundle from his grasp into the washing machine.

Levi put his things in the hamper next to it and quickly retrieved the detergent. He poured in just the right amount (for him) and turned it on, then lead Eren back up to his room. Levi pulled out a fresh set of wine red sheets and blankets and motioned for Eren to help him fit it all onto the bed. “So, what did you dream about, anyway?”

“Huh?” Eren asked, looking confused for just a second before he realized what Levi was talking about. “Oh, last night. Eugh, it was terrible. First, I ate some weird fruit and it felt really tingly in my throat,” he explained, tucking in the fitted sheet at one corner. “When I threw it up...It was  _ spiders _ .”

Levi blinked. “Jesus Christ. Are you alright?”

To his surprise, Eren let out a bitter laugh. “Levi, that wasn’t even the worst part.” He tucked in the other corner just as Levi did, and the two brought up the loose sheet together. “Do you remember when I told you about what happened to my sister? Those guys? They were monsters. Real ones. It was a really long time ago, but I still kind of dream about them. What they did to her, what I did to _ them _ , what I made  _ her _ do to them…” Eren’s gaze was suddenly far away, like he was reliving something horrible. Levi came around the side of the bed and snapped his fingers in front of Eren’s face, shocking him out of his trance. 

“Eren, you need to sit down. Breathe. What happened?” 

He plopped down on the bed and Levi sat next to him. “I...I dreamed that they came back and tried to kill me. They chased me everywhere and no matter how hard I tried, I could never get away.  I couldn’t defend myself. I couldn’t fight back. It was just scary, you know?”

Levi nodded understandingly.

Eren looked forward, his gaze going distant again. He chewed nervously on his lip. They were already on the subject. And Levi already let his skeletons out of the closet. Why not just get it over with? “Levi...Can I tell you something…?”

Levi could hear the shift in tone. He instinctively took Eren’s hand and caught his gaze and practically held it hostage with his steely eyes. “You can tell me  _ anything _ , Eren. Seriously. I am the  _ last  _ person who would judge you.”

Eren took a deep, bracing breath. “I was walking home from the store. I took a shortcut by some old warehouses and heard some talking, so I started listening in. They said the most disgusting things, Levi. I saw Mikasa laying there, and I knew I had to do something. I didn’t think at all. I just took out my pocket knife and...I killed them. I literally stabbed two people to death. Then Mikasa had to kill the last one just to save me. I think...I think doing that changed her. There’s no way she was that brutal before. That...merciless. Not that they didn’t deserve it, but still. It kind of haunts me.”

Levi wanted to ask, “Are you shitting me?”, but he knew, truly, that Eren  _ wasn’t  _ shitting him. What could he do? What could he  _ say? _

“I’m sorry, but I just have one question.”

Eren looked back at Levi, his eyes fearful. Levi rested his palm over Eren’s hand reassuringly.

“I’m sorry, there’s literally no judgment, but...How did you  _ not _ get arrested? I mean, I know you were eight, but still.”

Eren’s response was blunt. “Being under ten. I was ‘legally too young to form intent’, they said.”

Levi nodded understandingly. Almost instinctively, he took a fortifying breath and wrapped his arms around Eren in an awkwardly stiff hug. Eren audibly gasped, completely thrown off and a little startled at Levi’s sudden embrace. The first embrace he’d ever initiated.  The first embrace they ever had?  It certainly felt like it, for the both of them. Levi gently rested his chin on Eren’s shoulder. “This doesn’t change anything, just so you know. You did what you had to do,” he thought aloud. “I still love you.”

Another startling rarity. Eren threw his arms around Levi’s waist and squeezed him closer. “I  _ must  _ still be dreaming,” he said, burying his face in the crook of Levi’s neck.

Meanwhile, Levi was stunned to silence by the words he’d blurted out. He was terrified Eren could feel how hot he was getting with embarrassment, so he gingerly pulled away. “Y- You’re not dreaming,” he confirmed, avoiding eye contact.

“I love you too, you know,” Eren murmured, taking Levi’s hand.

Levi’s face burned even more with embarrassment. “Mnngh. Let me rebandage these,” he mumbled, running his thumb over Eren’s gauze-covered knuckles. Eren smiled.

“Okay.”

\---------------------------------

A ‘quick’ shower and two loads of laundry later, Levi was dressed and finally ready to go. Eren was bouncing on his heels impatiently, flexing his fingers in his new bandages, but his eyes fixated happily on Levi’s form as soon as he started pulling out his keys. 

“Hey, before we leave…” Eren began, a smile growing on his face, “Could we take your motorcycle?”

Levi cast him a little glance and smirked. “You don’t just want an excuse to hold me, do you?”

“...Yes. Yes I do.” With a beaming grin, Eren followed Levi out to the garage and hopped on the back of the bike before Levi even got the helmets. After Levi got on, Eren popped his helmet on and wrapped his arms tightly around Levi’s waist. Once they were zooming down the road, everything really set in for Eren. He’d just told Levi his biggest secret, something no one outside the family knew. Not even  _ Armin  _ knew. And Levi just accepted it for what it was. Accepted it, and still... _ loved him _ . Eren’s heart went aflutter. He’d actually  _ said _ the words. All doubts Eren had of Levi’s feelings were crushed to dust. He squeezed Levi tighter and just couldn’t make his smile go away. When they made it to the hospital, and even when Levi parked the motorcycle, Eren didn’t let go.

“Don’t you wanna see your mom, Eren?”

One last squeeze, and Eren reluctantly let go of Levi’s waist and got off the bike. He took off the helmet and shook his hair out. “I still wanna be close to you. Can I?” Keeping the helmet in one arm, Eren held out his hand. 

“Of course,” Levi replied, taking the extended hand and helping to hang both helmets on the handlebars. The two went inside the hospital and straight to room 66F.

“Eren!” Carla called out, smiling as soon as she saw her son in the doorway. Her voice sounded much stronger than before, and her eyes had a faint glimmer to them. She didn’t look as tired as usual, either. It was amazing. Eren rushed in and gave her a hug. “What are you doing here so early?” 

Eren, of course, beamed. “Levi took me,” he said, looking back proudly at his boyfriend.

Carla followed his gaze and, upon seeing him,  gestured for Levi to come closer. He was hardly even inside the room. He entered and stepped over to Eren’s side, smiling politely down at Carla. “Levi, honey, I never really got the chance to give you a proper thank-you. What you and your father are doing for me is...it’s beyond words. Taking me here was one thing, but the money- I can’t fathom how much that means to our entire family. How much easier it’ll make Eren and Mikasa’s lives now that Grisha can buy actual  _ groceries  _ with his paycheck again. You’ve practically saved us,” she said, every word warm with sincerity and truth.

Levi found himself blushing again. “Please, I don’t deserve that much credit. I know you need and deserve to have this kind of medical care. And like I said, I care very much for Eren and you both. It just felt like the right thing to do.”

Eren leaned on Levi’s shoulder, making him blush harder. Carla grinned.

“You’re so sweet, Levi. Don’t ever stop being who you are, okay? You are  _ so  _ beautiful and my son is  _ so  _ lucky to have you,” she replied, noticing the redness in his cheeks. She noticed how happy Eren looked, too. It warmed her completely from the inside out.

“Mom, I know it’s only your second day, but how are you holding up? Does anything hurt?” Eren asked.

Carla smiled again. “The pain’s not nearly as bad as it was before. They gave me a  _ lot  _ of dilaudid. Doctor Ackerman already started me on physical therapy, but I still feel pretty good. It’s amazing,” she said. “How about you, Eren? How are  _ you  _ holding up?” She glanced down at his bandages worriedly. Eren swiftly held his arms behind his back.

“Mom, I’m fine. I want you to just worry about yourself right now, okay? I’m here for you,” Eren said. “Are you hungry at all? Or thirsty? I can probably get something for you from a nurse. You’re not too hot or cold, are you? I can get another blanket,” he insisted.

The woman sighed and crossed one arm over her lap- the one not attached to an IV. “Sweetie, I love you, but even my own mom didn’t smother me this much.”

Levi snorted softly. 

Eren gave a look of embarrassment and took his mom’s hand. “Sorry, I just...I really want to help. Still.”

“I know, honey, I know.” She squeezed his fingers. “I also know you can’t stay cooped up in the hospital every day with me like you used to. You’re not a kid anymore, I’m afraid. You’re a  _ teenager _ , and you need to go out and explore and have fun while you can. It’s a beautiful day out, why not go on a date?” She looked over at Levi expectantly, who froze like a deer in the headlights at her suggestion.

Thankfully, Eren had the sense to cut in. “Great idea, we’ll think it over. And I get what you’re saying, but still. Are you sure you don’t need anything from me?”

“Honey, I have so many nurses at my beck and call that I feel like  _ royalty _ . I promise I’m alright,” She assured.

Eren grumbled softly but nodded in understanding. “Okay, okay.”

Carla knew that Eren didn’t want to leave her, but she had to make him go. Still, something bothered her. Carla’s Mom Senses gave a sudden tingle. “...Eren. Have you had breakfast yet?”

As soon as those ears got red, Carla knew the truth. “Oh, uh... Of course I did, don’t worry about me. We should be getting  _ you  _ breakfast, mom. Do you need another pillow?” Eren distracted, fluffing up the one behind her.

Carla’s eyes narrowed suspiciously and she took hold of Eren by the lobe of his ear. “Eren Jaeger, don’t you lie to me. Go to the cafeteria and get some food right this minute or  _ else _ ,” she ordered sternly, but lovingly.

“Aghh, okay okay okay, I’ll go! Please-” 

She released his ear.

“Thank you. Levi? Will you come with me?” Eren asked, looking with those puppydog eyes of his over his shoulder.

Levi sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I’m starving. Carla, want anything?”

She smiled back up at him. “No thank you, sweetie. Can’t eat until the doctor says so,” she explained. 

Levi nodded again, and Eren linked arms with him. “We’ll be back, okay?” Eren said. “Fifteen minutes tops.”

“Sorry boys, I’ve actually got to steal Mrs. Jaeger away from you for a while,” Dr. Ackerman cut in, stepping into the room with a clipboard and pen in his hands. “We’ve got some chemotherapy to get you to, then back to bed rest,” he said, addressing Carla.

Carla gave Eren an apologetic expression. “Well, in that case, you boys should probably head back home. This new chemo is kind of a doozy for me. Takes a few hours, too.”

Eren’s face fell. “Oh. Okay. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”

Carla nodded. “Yes, honey. Now go and get some food in you. I love you, Eren.”

“Love you too, mom,” he replied, hesitantly waving goodbye.

Carla watched after the two boys as they exited the hospital room, wishing desperately that she’d have the strength to walk like they did again.

“A date, hm?” the Doctor asked knowingly. “Forgive my candor, but... Was that an excuse to wean him from you before you die?  To keep him out and about until he doesn’t think about you anymore?”

Carla’s eyes went wide as she stared up at the doctor. He was calm and casual as ever.  Almost eerily so. How did he know?

“Because it won’t work. He loves you with all his heart, and he will never forget that.”

Her stiffened shoulders relaxed. “Oh...Well, thank you, I suppose…”

Dr. Ackerman grinned. “Are you ready for your chemotherapy session?” She nodded, and in came a nurse with a wheelchair. Right on time.


	32. Manga and Muffins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren and Levi go out for a good read and the love grows <3

Eren’s arms were wrapped tightly around Levi’s waist as they sped down the road. His heart was fluttering wildly again and he had the biggest smile hiding under his helmet. 

Although there were no words exchanged between them, Levi could feel that something was different. Eren seemed to be holding him with more tenderness and warmth than before. What could he possibly be thinking about?

_I love him, I love him, I. Love. Him._ Eren’s head was up in the clouds, so much so that he hardly noticed the bike had stopped moving and rumbling. When he did notice, he scrambled to take off his helmet and see where Levi had taken them. His gaze landed on a small shop with the sign ' Booklet Café' across the arch of the front door.

“I like to come here on occasion,” Levi said, “This is my favorite place to grab a bite and a good read in one sitting. Wanna see?”

Eren promptly hopped off the bike and showed off a bright grin. “Of course I do! You know, it’s pretty cute that you’d like something like this,” he gushed.

Levi snorted. “Just wait.”

Pulling his sleeve down over his palm, Levi pulled open the door and stepped inside, Eren following close behind. The younger let out an audible gasp when he saw the long glass case full of muffins, bagels, cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. Next to it was a counter with a register and a chalkboard with a list of different teas and their prices on it. Behind them, and on every surrounding wall of the giant room, were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The rest of the place was cozy with cushioned seats, ornate wooden tables, and dangling lights that twinkled like stars. The place seemed to be deserted.

A young woman suddenly popped up from behind the counter. “Oh, I’m so sorry, how can I help you?” She asked, offering a smile to the two of them. 

“Eren, what would you like?” Levi asked.

“Muffins are good,” he replied.

Suppressing a smile, Levi stepped up to the counter and ordered two muffins and two hot chocolates. When they got their food and drinks, Levi lead Eren to a particularly cozy spot beside a fireplace Eren hadn’t noticed until now. The two sat next to each other and Eren immediately started devouring his treat. Levi pulled out a book from one of the many shelves. “I never cared much for comic books or manga, or whatever, but this place has some seriously good-ass literature,” he said, gazing at the book he’d picked out. Eren leaned over and read the title: Tomie.

“What’s that?” Eren inquired, wiping his mouth and taking a careful sip of his hot chocolate.

This time, Levi’s smile broke through the barrier.  “Just a story about a girl,” he began, absently flipping through the pages. “She has a knack for making men fall to their knees for her. And kill for her.” He gave Eren a sly sideways glance that sent chills up Eren’s spine. Good chills. Sexy chills. 

“Oh?” he asked, scooting closer.

Levi’s absent flipping brought him to a page that showed a depiction of a young girl. Even with the limited shades of black and white, Eren could tell she was gorgeous. “That’s Tomie,” Levi pointed out. He flipped to another page with photos of an equally ugly, monstrous looking creature. “This is also Tomie. She’s beautiful, but not very photogenic.”

Eren mouthed a ‘wow’ and took the manga when Levi pushed it toward him. He studied the different pictures and flipped through the pages, ‘ooh’ing and ‘ahh’ing at the artwork inside.

“Junji Ito wrote and drew all that stuff. Pretty cool, huh? I swear, he’s got the most bizarre ideas. I love how he can take ordinary stuff and twist it into something terrifying. If I wasn’t practically disabled when it comes to drawing skill, I’d try to do what he does,” Levi gushed, the words pouring out excitedly before he could stop them. “I’ve read literally everything he’s ever made. Uzumaki, Gyo, the Fragments of Horror collection, The Dissolving Classroom, Souichi’s Diary of Delights  _ and  _ his Diary of Curses, Mimi’s Ghost Stories, The Black Paradox, and-” Levi caught himself mid-list and stopped suddenly. “...Jesus Christ, I’m actually geeking out. I am so sorry.”

Eren couldn’t help but beam when Levi spoke. He’d never seen Levi get so excited about something, and it turned out to be the most adorable thing  _ ever. _ “Don’t apologize, I love hearing you talk about the stuff you like. Keep going,” he urged.

Sheepishly, Levi turned around and pulled another book from the shelf. “This one is Uzumaki,” he said, feeling stupid for saying so since the title was in bright, bold font on the cover.  He cleared his throat. “Another one by Junji Ito. I could be wrong, but I think the title is Japanese for ‘spiral’. It’s this story about people in a town that go crazy for spirals. Like, they literally  _ go crazy _ until they twist up into spirals themselves. It sounds stupid as hell trying to explain it, but it is actually pretty creepy.”

Eren chuckled. “It doesn’t sound stupid at all. Creepy stuff is cool. Well, the stuff you like is, anyways.”

Levi snorted. “You really think so?”

Taking another careful sip of his drink, Eren nodded.

There was silence between them for a moment.

“...So. What do you think of this place?” Levi asked, his voice surprisingly tentative.

Eren grinned. “It’s awesome, Levi. I had no idea you liked this kind of stuff. Me and Armin have been anime geeks for  _ years  _ but I-” He paused with a sudden gasp. “Oh. My. God. Armin would  _ love  _ it here! He’s all about manga and books and stuff. Do they have anything about the ocean in here?” Eren glanced around the room like it would be enough to actually find what he was looking for. 

Levi relaxed, another smile creeping up on his face. “They have books about pretty much everything here, I’m sure there are plenty about the ocean. All we have to do is ask,” he explained, standing. “One second, I’ll be right back.”

Eren watched as Levi left his side and made his way to the front, focusing a bit too much on the way Levi’s hips moved when he walked. Levi said some words to the girl at the front counter, she said some words back, then pointed the way toward what Eren presumed were the ocean books. Levi nodded and made his way back to their table, his expression turning suspicious when he saw how Eren was smiling.

“What’s the shit-eating grin for?”

Eren just shrugged and snuggled up close to Levi. “I’m just remembering how lucky I am to have you,” he replied dreamily. In an act of courage, he leaned in close to Levi’s ear. “Has anyone ever told you you have a nice butt? Because you do. A very nice butt.”

Levi’s face went red and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. “Shut uuup,” he replied, embarrassed and flattered at the same time. Eren grinned again and nuzzled his ear. 

“Wanna go back to your place?” he whispered.

“What are you trying to do, get laid?” Levi retorted.

Eren was quiet for a second. Thinking. “...Nooo,” he answered slowly. At that, Levi laughed. He let out an actual  _ laugh _ . Eren couldn’t help but smile wider. “Well, you can’t blame me for trying. I mean, have you  _ seen  _ yourself shirtless?”

Levi laughed again, bashfully this time, and Eren’s heart just melted. “I love you,” he sighed.

“I...I love you too,” Levi replied, the words coming shockingly easily to him. Not that he minded. “C’mon, let’s get outta here.”

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They made it back to Levi’s place and inside the front door, Eren holding onto Levi’s arm unwaveringly. “What do you wanna do now?” Levi asked, as if the answer wasn’t obvious.

“Besides  _ you _ ? Eh, I could settle for a movie.” Eren replied, grinning again.

Levi rolled his eyes and bit back a smile. “For a virgin, you sure do like to act like you know what you’re doing.”

“What can I say? I’m gifted~” Eren replied, kissing Levi’s cheek. He was just so  _ giddy  _ inside, he couldn’t stop himself from showing Levi affection. One good thing, at least, was that Levi seemed to stiffen up less and less the more Eren touched him. “...You don’t mind this, do you?” Eren asked, biting his lip worriedly.

Levi blinked in surprise. “Do I mind what?”

Eren looked down at their intertwined arms, their hands clasped together like two perfect, cliché puzzle pieces. Then he looked back into Levi’s eyes. He gulped.

_ Touching. _

Levi’s heart skipped a little, and his hand squeezed Eren’s. “Eren, I...I like it. This, I mean,” he said, squeezing a bit harder. “I’ve never been like this with anybody. I mean  _ anybody _ . I’m honestly grateful that you hold my hand and hug me as much as you do. It helps me. And it feels...nice.”

Eren’s eyes brightened immediately. Levi couldn’t look away, although he was embarrassed and unsure of what to say next.  _ Being vulnerable is  _ not  _ my cup of tea _ , Levi thought to himself. Suddenly, without words, Eren leaned in and gave Levi a soft, long kiss. When he leaned back, he smiled again. He smiled that beautiful, perfect smile, and Levi melted. “So, what movie should we watch?” Eren asked casually, gently pulling Levi into the living room and snuggling close when they both sat on the couch. 

“Have you ever seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show?”

Eren shook his head. “Never heard of it. Let’s watch it!”

Levi snorted and got up, going over to the entertainment center and plucking the DVD from its case. After putting it in and pressing the Play button, he sat back down and leaned on Eren a little. To his shock, he could hear Eren’s rapid heartbeat. “You okay?” he asked, looking up at Eren in concern.

Eren nodded. “Yeah, I just…” He took a deep breath. “I just have a huge crush on you.”

Levi grinned and leaned up, softly kissing Eren’s cheek. “You are such a dork.”


	33. Friends and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More talking is done. Closure.

Marco shyly squeezed Jean’s hand, who kept flicking his gaze to the window, then to Marco, then back to the window again. He wasn’t exactly sure how to tell Marco the truth. Their perky waitress approached their booth and clicked her pen. “Any dessert for you boys today?”

“Chocolate ca-” they both began in unison, stopping short when they each heard the other speak.

“Two orders of our famous chocolate cake, coming right up! Can I get you some ice cream with that?”

“Please,” answered Marco, offering a smile.

When Nancy left them to themselves again, Jean let out a heavy sigh. _I’ve just gotta be honest._ “I’m really, _really_ scared right now. I know I like Mikasa, but honestly, I’ve also kind of...I mean, I never had, like, _feelings_ , but I would-” Jean could feel his cheeks start to burn. “Okay, I guess there were some feelings, but...I just...Noticed you sometimes, you know? But then I’d play it off or just move on or think about Mikasa instead. I was always taught that the only kind of man that matters is the one that has all the money, women, and confidence. And if I’m not that, I’m not shit to my dad. I tried _so_ hard to focus on Mikasa, but sometimes you say things and sometimes you do things and sometimes I just look at you and it just makes me stop in my tracks and…” He trailed off, losing track of his words in his embarrassment.

Marco blinked, trying to register Jean’s words. There was more sincerity in those words than any others Jean had ever spoken to him. _So it’s not just girls_ , he realized. Before he could respond, Jean smacked himself in the forehead.

“I just feel so _stupid_ ,” he growled. “First I like girls, but then I think I might maybe like the other thing, but then I think of Mikasa and I like her, but that is impossible because when I look at _you_ I-” he cut himself off again, his mouth literally unable to form words any further from sheer embarrassment.

The freckled teen squeezed his friend’s hand in a gentle comforting gesture. “Jean, your feelings for Mikasa and what you see in me are both real and valid and it’s _okay_. That probably just means you’re bisexual.”

Jean raised an eyebrow. “The fuck is that?”

“Bisexuality?” Marco questioned, genuinely shocked that Jean didn’t understand the term. “Dude. It’s when you like guys _and_ girls. Not just one or the other.”

In the seconds after Marco’s words left his mouth, Jean’s mind was blown to bits. “Wait- Are you saying that people can actually like _both_ ? Are you serious? You don’t have to _choose_?”

“You’ve really never heard of this, have you?”

“Never. I just thought you liked dudes or you like chicks, you know? Wait...Are you…?”

Marco shook his head. “No, I’m definitely gay, I can promise you that,” he assured.

Jean furrowed his eyebrows. _Bisexual_ , he thought. _I can like both. Both! How did I not know? What does this mean for me and Marco? What about Mikasa?_ He still felt confused, but the reality was becoming clear. He sighed. “I know I’m a piece of shit. No matter how I feel now, I can’t change the things I’ve said and done. And I can’t take back all the horrible things you probably felt when I acted like an asshole.  I’m really, really sorry for that.”

The freckled boy smiled and tentatively rubbed his thumb over the back of Jean’s palm. “Thank you. I forgive you. And I’ve always seen past your tough-guy exterior, you know. We’ve been best friends since forever, Jean. I know you, and I know you’re not a piece of shit. You’ve done shitty things, but you’re not a piece of shit.”

Jean found himself blushing, but he didn’t pull his hand away. “I...Well...Thank you.”

Marco caught Jean’s nervous gaze and held it gently with his own. “Jean, I want you to talk to me. I want to do whatever I can to help make you feel better. I know that you’re feeling a lot right now.”

The hazel-eyed boy nodded, his eyes drifting to their entwined fingers. It was so comforting to have Marco there. To be touching him. To have him know everything Jean was really thinking and that he actually accepted it. “I just...I don’t know what to do right now. All I know is that you care about me, and I care about you, and it feels _really_ good when I kiss you.”

Marco bit back a flustered grin. “Well, I’ll never try to force you into anything you’re not comfortable with, but you are more than welcome to kiss me at literally any time.”

Just then, their waitress set down two slices of chocolate cake each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, breaking the moment between them.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Alright, I’m putting my foot down. You’re going home before it gets dark out tonight. I know your sister must still be worried about you,” Levi said, shelving away the small pile of DVDs that had accumulated on the coffee table in the preceding hours. Eren let out a groan.

“But I wanna staaaayyyy,” he whined.

“What did I say about buts?”

Eren groaned again and got up, wrapping his arms around Levi’s waist from behind. “Can I at least call you?” he asked, resting his chin on Levi’s shoulder.

“Of course you can,” Levi replied, leaning back into Eren’s embrace. “I love hearing your voice.”

“Mnn. I love hearing yours.”

Levi reached up and ran his fingers through Eren’s hair lovingly. “Wanna grab anything to eat before I take you home?” he asked.

Eren shrugged. “Nah, I’m not really hungry. Thanks, though. You’re the best, for real.” Reluctantly pulling himself away, Eren glanced up at the clock on Levi’s wall. “Mikasa probably _is_ still freaking out a little, now that you mention it,” he thought aloud.

Levi nodded and picked his keys up from the coffee table. “If you want, the band’s got a gig at a concert hall next Saturday. You and Mikasa can come along, if you’d like to,” he offered, making his way down the hall to don his boots and jacket. Eren bounded after him, pulling on his own shoes and outerwear with a wide grin.

“Are you serious?! Of course I want to go! And Mikasa would love it, too,” he gushed, taking Levi’s hand as they went out the door.

When the couple pulled up to Eren’s apartment, he took off his seatbelt and leaned over the center console to press a final goodbye kiss to Levi’s lips. “I guess I’ll see you in a few days, huh?”

“I’ll be right here waiting to pick you up,” Levi assured, leaning in and kissing Eren one more time. They both smiled. “Tell Mikasa I said hi.”

“I will,” answered  Eren, squeezing Levi’s hand before he climbed out of the car. He waved goodbye and bounded into the building, eager to see his sister again. When Eren opened the door, the familiar smell of home welcomed him. He made a beeline for his room and grinned when he found Mikasa sitting on her bed, homework spread out on the mattress around her. “Hey,” he greeted. “I missed you.”

Mikasa looked up at her brother and smiled. “I missed you too. Happen to need any help with your English homework?”

“I actually got it done when Ms. Foster handed it out,” he proudly proclaimed, sitting Indian-style atop his blankets. “And all my other homework.”

The girl’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. “I can’t believe you’re actually keeping up with that.”

“Of course I am. Otherwise I’d be stuck at home all the time doing homework instead of hanging out with you and Armin or seeing Levi. Oh! Speaking of seeing Levi, he invited us to go to a concert he’s doing a few days. Please, _please_ tell me you wanna go.” He clasped his hands together and gave his most persuasive smile.

Mikasa couldn’t help but let out a snort. “Well _duh_ , who else is gonna look out for you while you’re busy drooling over your boyfriend?”

“Ha ha ha, very funny.” Eren leaned over, peering at Mikasa’s half-finished notes. “I think I might actually be able to help you with some of that, if you want,” he offered.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Levi arched his spine in a cat-like stretch as he awoke, sunlight streaming in and annoyingly blinding him for a moment. He sat up, scratched his head, and swung his feet down to the floor to pad into the bathroom. Clothing came off, the shower came on, and Levi stepped in. He went through his usual routine mechanically, trying to block out his invading worries and fears. _You need to talk to them today,_ Levi’s conscience concluded. He pushed the thought away. After dressing, changing the bedsheets, and washing everything, Levi made himself some breakfast. He cleaned up the dishes and went back to his bathroom to retrieve a few pills, one being for the growing ache in his temple. Once he washed them down and retrieved his phone, he frowned to find it buzzing in his palm before he could open his Zenkoi game. Levi inhaled deeply and let out a slow sigh, then answered the call. “What is it, Petra?”

“Hey, Levi! Erd’s doctor appointment was moved to next week, wanna come to practice early? None of us have anything else to do.”

Levi narrowed his eyes and glanced around the room. He never really believed in God, and it wasn’t necessarily out of the ordinary for Petra to call like this, but it suddenly seemed eerie that she’d call only to force him to potentially fuck up their entire friendship far sooner than he was ready for. _No. They’ll understand. They have to._

Petra frowned at the silence on the other end of the line. “Levi? You there?”

“I’ll meet you guys in twenty minutes,” he said, hanging up. She looked down at her phone, eyebrows knit together.

“Babe?” Auruo asked.

She shook her head. “Levi’s on his way, but...Something doesn’t feel right,” she answered uneasily.

Auruo rubbed her back comfortingly. “Come on, babe. It’s Levi. He’s always got a weird vibe about him,” he reassured, hoping to ease her obvious increasing worry. She forced a smile at him.

Levi pulled up to the practice studio and stepped through the doors, silently making his way to his bandmates. They were all absorbed in cleaning and tuning their instruments until they heard him approach. “Heeeyyyyy!” Erd greeted, grinning wide.

“Glad you could make it so soon,” Gunther added.

Levi didn’t respond. _I can’t keep this from them. I have to get this over with,_ he decided. “We need to talk,” he said flatly. All eyes turned to him.

“I knew it,” Petra muttered, too low for Levi to hear. “What’s wrong? Did something happen with Eren?” She asked worriedly.

He shook his head, finding an empty chair and sitting in it.  The rest of the band members sat themselves, facing Levi completely and giving him their full attention. “No. I mean, I guess it kind of has something to do with him, but it’s not our relationship. It’s…” He sighed heavily. “It’s my dad.”

Auruo crossed his arms and frowned. “The fuck does Carl Clauberg want with you now?”

Any other day, Levi would have snorted at the horrendous reference. “He...Well, I did something. And it puts the future of the band...At risk.” He sucked in a breath, waiting for the flood of questions and accusations.

Instead, the others were stunned to silence. Finally, Petra found her voice and leaned in to touch Levi’s knee. “Levi, what happened?”

Surprised, but thankful for Petra’s single neutral question, he gathered his thoughts momentarily before responding. “Eren’s mom is sick. Very, very sick,” he began. “His family can’t afford good medicine or treatments, and he just recently found out that her condition is worse. She’s literally dying. When I found out, I couldn’t just…” Levi let out a sigh. “I called my dad. I told him I’d do anything if he took on Eren’s mom as a patient and did everything he could to keep her around for as long as possible. He agreed, on the condition that I go back to medical school for the next three years.”

The friends exchanged looks, absorbing Levi’s words. They all remembered the last time Levi had to deal with medical school and all the ways he’d been pressured to live up to his father’s expectations. He still found time to sneak off and play with the band and hang out, but they weren’t kids anymore.

“He said that if he finds out I’m doing anything he doesn’t like, including performing with you, that all the waved medical bills would go directly to me in Eren’s family’s stead. It’s a lot of money, but I don’t really care about that very much. What I care about is that my dad can be a sneaky asshole. I know I put myself and the rest of us in this situation, and I’m sorry, but if he took Eren’s mom off those treatments because of me,  I couldn’t live with myself. As soon as the next fall semester starts, I’ll have to leave the band for a while.”

Again, there was silence as Levi’s words hung in the air, sinking in. Petra stood, and Levi looked up at her. “Do you love him?”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “Do I whatnow?”

“Do you love Eren? Are you in love with him?”

Levi’s face went red. That was the last direction he expected the conversation to go in. “Why does that matter?” He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

She sighed. “Because if you really do love him, then _of course_ we understand. Levi, you’re like our brother. Our band is amazing, and I don’t want anything to change, but I know that the bond we all have will never break, no matter what happens to the band. Whether we play together or not, you’re still like my brother. I’ll never stop loving you, neither will they, neither will Hanji, and neither will Eren,” she explained, glancing at the others. “If it were my mother that was sick, Auruo would take a bullet in the _dick_ for her. We all understand why you did what you did. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” the men replied in unison, their expressions just as serious and sincere as Petra’s.

“Dude, if somebody’s really sick, you shouldn’t feel guilty about doing something to help them,” Gunther said.

“Gunt’s right, it’s not your fault your dad’s a total cunt,” Erd chimed in.

Levi’s steely grey eyes slid from one band member to the next, studying their expressions and tones as they spoke. They were being legitimately sincere. A sudden weight seemed to be lifted from Levi’s chest. He let out a breath and his shoulders began to relax. “Thank you, guys. Seriously.” He stood, awkwardly opening his arms. “I’m a lucky son of a bitch to have a family like you all.”

With a happy squeal, Petra jumped into his embrace, and the three men soon joined the hug and they all gave one big, loving squeeze before pulling away from one another. Petra took Levi’s hand. “We’re sticking by you no matter what, and we’re going to cherish the time we have left to perform together. And who knows, maybe when you’re finished with school, we can get the band back together!” she gushed hopefully.

“Yeah,” Levi agreed, cracking his signature crooked grin.

Auruo picked up his keytar and played his favorite single riff. “Let’s get to work then, shall we?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A filler chapter that resolves a couple little things.


	34. Close Encounters

Jean sat in his chair, lazily flicking his paintbrush against the canvas. “Kandinsky inspiration?” Marco asked, leaning over to get a better look.

He snorted. “You know I have no idea who that is, right?”

Marco playfully sighed, patting Jean’s shoulder. “I know, buddy. Sadly, I know.” He flashed Jean a grin before he got back to his own painting.

The two would glance at one another’s work periodically, making comments and light jokes. There was not a single moment that Jean’s attention broke from Marco’s gestures or words. He never looked at Mikasa, not then, and not for the past few weeks. He’d always known, deep down, that Mikasa never had any interest in him, romantic or otherwise. She was something to chase. A challenge. But recently, Jean just didn’t think about her very much. He wasn’t caught up in trying to figure out ways to get her attention or sound cool. He was relaxed, comfortable. He was with Marco.

When the bell rang, the boys stretched and Jean picked up both unfinished paintings, placing them gingerly on the drying rack. He hurried to catch up to Marco so he wouldn’t have to wait too long by the door. Once the two were joined again in the hall, they began making their way to their last shared class of the day. Chemistry. _Time to deal with stupid fucking Jaeger,_ thought Jean grimly. Almost as if he’d read his mind, Marco gave Jean another sympathetic pat as they entered the classroom full of beakers and test tubes and, just recently, far too many bottles of chemicals that no one was sure were actually legal to have in a school. Their teacher, unsurprisingly, was standing on his desk. Her desk. Their desk. The boys glanced at the whiteboard as they took their seats, reading “MR. HANJI” scrawled over some formulas and periodic table squares stuck to the surface.

“TODAY, MY PRETTIES, YOU WILL DISCOVER THE MAGICAL CAPABILITIES OF CHEMISTRY!” He bellowed, jumping down to the floor and scampering to a test tube almost full to the brim with a mysterious black liquid. He returned to the front of the class, showing the glass off proudly. “Tell me, have any of you ever wanted to fuck up someone’s day without facing any consequences?”

Eren’s hand shot in the air, his head snapping to the side to give Jean the evil eye. Jean retorted by sticking his tongue out. Hanji’s glasses glinted mischievously at the exchange. “Eren, my star pupil,” He complimented, beckoning the boy to the front of the classroom.  He rose and approached the teacher, only to yelp when Hanji splashed the contents of the test tube all over the front of Eren’s white T-shirt.

Jean barked out a laugh and slapped the table, earning a glare from Eren. He made half a step in Jean’s direction before Hanji blocked the advance with his arm. “Ah, ah, ah,” he scolded, lowering his arm and pointing at Eren’s shirt with a jester-like grin. Confused, Eren looked down, only to find that, although still wet, his shirt no longer had a giant black stain. “DISAPPEARING INK, CHILDREN!” Hanji announced, charmingly straight into Eren’s ear. He rubbed the side of his head that was closest to Hanji and took his seat as the teacher dove into the lesson. Forty minutes, two explosions, and a near-rat-escape later, the bell rang. “Laaaame,” Hanji drawled, shoulders slumping. He waved goodbye as students gathered their notes and books and filed out of the room one by one.

“Hey, Hanji?”

He turned, instantly brightening when he saw Eren’s face. “Yes, my little _Kobold Ficker_?” he asked, batting his eyes.

Eren’s eyebrows furrowed. “Leprechaun fucker?” he asked.

“Oh, shit. You know German?” Hanji asked, letting out a snort. “I should’ve known. Man, you’re just full of surprises. Yeah, Leprechaun, because Levi’s...Never mind, what is it you need?”

Eren shook his head. “It’s, well...It’s about Levi. Homecoming’s in a few days, and I’m not going with anyone from school, so…” Hanji spotted the growing blush on Eren’s cheeks and slid closer, draping an arm over his shoulder.

“I see, I see, you want me to pull a few strings and get your big-strong-man boyfriend in the doors at Homecoming so you can show him off to all your friends. Heh. Been there. And you bet your ass I’m sneaking that fucker in, he’d be coming whether he was with you or not!” Hanji snorted again. “No way I could chaperone a bunch of horny teenagers without _some_ comic relief,” he explained.

Eren considered this, for a moment. _Levi, the comic relief? Really?_ “No, I mean, thank you, but...I just...I want to ask him, but I don’t even know if he’d want to do something like that. Would he think it’s dumb?” he asked worriedly, giving Hanji an expression that could only be read as _Help me!_

Hanji gave Eren’s shoulder a pat. “Eren, hun, if you’re the one asking, _nothing_ you say sounds dumb to Levi. Just trust your gut and ask him when the opportunity presents itself. And if he says no, which he won’t, you just let me know.” He gave a reassuring wink. “I’ll make that lil bitch go. Now, as the responsible adult in the room, I must bid you adieu and wish that the force be with you when you enter the class you’re now eight minutes late for.”

“Shit!” Eren yelped, swiping up his belongings and rushing out the door, calling “Thanks, Hanji!” behind him.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Eren twisted the phone cord in his hand again, shakily dialing Levi’s number. He put the receiver to his ear and held his breath until Levi answered.

“Hey, Eren. What’s up?” he asked, the sound of water and clanking dishes in the background.

“S- Sorry, are you busy? I’ll let you go,” Eren stammered.

“Eren, if I was too busy to answer the phone, I wouldn’t answer the phone. What’s up?” Levi repeated.

Eren let out a long sigh. _Just ask him!_ “Levi, I...Well, there’s this...Uh…” He trailed off, losing his words as he scrambled to figure out what exactly to say.

The sounds on the other end of the line stopped. “Eren, you sound like you’re taking a shit right now. Did you call me while you’re shitting?”

“No!” Eren squeaked, “It’s just, Homecoming is kind of this weekend and I was kind of wondering if maybe you might possibly want to...Go with me?”

Silence. Then a long, drawn-out sigh. “Does it mean a lot to you?”

“....A little bit.”

Another sigh. “What time should I pick you up?”

Eren jumped in place. “Seven!” he chirped happily, earning a snort from the other end of the line.

“Alright, I’ll be there. Friday?”

“Friday,” Eren confirmed, absolutely beaming.

“Gotcha. I’ll see you then.”

After hanging up, Eren flitted to his room and plopped down on his bed, hugging a pillow tight. _Friday,_ he thought. _Four more days._

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was not a pleasant Wednesday for the Goth band member. It was past noon already, and not one single good lyric had come to his mind yet.

Levi shook his head in disgust. “Bullshit. _Bullshit!”_ He hotly smacked his notebook down on the dining room table and took a long swig of wine. ‘ _I feel dead without you, dead inside and out of my mind’? What kind of emo-ass lyrics are those??_ Levi furiously scribbled out the words and dumped more wine into his glass. His phone gave a sudden buzz in his pocket, distracting him from his frustration for the moment. He pulled it out of his back pocket and answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, Levi!” Petra greeted cheerfully. “Got any good songs written yet?”

Levi glanced over at the trash can, nearly full with crumpled papers. “Uhhh…”

“I’ll take that as a no. Need any help?”

He shook his head, despite Petra not being able to see it. “No, it’s fine. I just have writer’s block, that’s all.”

“You know what always helps me clear my head? A good, hard fu-” Levi hung up.

He leaned back in his chair, heaved a sigh, and drained the wine glass once again.

Petra frowned at her phone. “What’s wrong, Baby?” Auruo asked, setting his bass aside to hold Petra’s hand.

She shrugged. “Levi’s in a slump again. Should we go to his place?”

Auruo let out a snort. “Yeah, like Levi would want to see _us_ when he’s irritated. We’d have better luck sending his boy-toy.”

Petra’s eyes went wide. “Baby, I love you. You’re my perfect genius, you know that?” She praised, leaning in and giving him a smooch. Then she tapped on her phone again and put it to her ear. “Hanji! Hey, is there any way you could get Eren’s phone number from the school?”

“ _Hah!_ ” Hanji replied, “You’re hilarious, like I _don’t_ already have his number saved in my phone. I’ll text it to you.”

Three hours and two wine bottles later, Levi heard a knock at the door. He nearly jumped out of his seat with a start. “The fuck? Who in the shit…?” he slurred, standing on slightly wobbly feet. Once he got his balance back, Levi made his way over to the front door, pressing one hand to the wall for support. When he opened the door, sunlight flooded in and nearly blinded him.

“Levi? Are you...okay?”

“Eren?” Levi asked, blinking.

Eren stepped in and shut the door behind him, studying Levi’s face. “What’s going on? Petra called my house and said I should get over here. Did something happen?”

Levi threw his head back and rolled his eyes. “Uuuuuuuggggghhhhhhh, Petraaaaaaaaaaa,” he whined, turning away and staggering back toward the kitchen.

“Woah, woah, woah!” Eren said, jumping in front of Levi’s path. The man walked straight into him, almost falling backward before Eren grabbed hold of him. That was when Eren got a whiff of his breath. “Oh, my God. You’re drunk, aren’t you?”

Levi snickered into Eren’s shoulder and leaned on him hard. “What was your first clue?” He paused for a moment. Feeling Eren holding him. Thoughtlessly, Levi reached up and squeezed Eren’s biceps through his shirt. “Not bad,” he mumbled, a grin spreading across his face.

“Okay, uh, I think it’s time you sat down,” Eren replied, his cheeks and ears going red. He draped Levi’s arm over his shoulder and led him to the couch, easing him down and then sitting next to him. “Can you tell me why you’ve been drinking?”

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren’s shoulders and leaned on him again. “‘Cause I can’t write shit. I write and write and write, and then write and write and write and write….right?” He laughed again and squeezed Eren’s bicep one more time. “Can I just kiss you?” Levi looked up at Eren’s lips, then at his eyes. Eren gulped.

“I...would _love_ that.”

Levi hummed in approval and kissed Eren softly, over and over and over again, letting out a little chuckle between smooches. He gently nibbled on Eren’s lower lip and felt him shiver. “Nice, huh?” Levi asked.

Eren nodded, pressing in for another kiss. He could feel Levi’s left hand reach up and gently grip his hair, the right sliding down to rest on his waist. Eren’s own hands found their way to Levi’s hips and he kissed him harder, unable to help himself.

With a sudden burst of confidence, Levi climbed straight into Eren’s lap and straight-up straddled him. He nipped Eren’s lip again and flicked his tongue out, pleased when Eren opened his mouth and let him in. He let out the most delicious moan, and Levi couldn’t stop himself. He slid his hand up under Eren’s shirt, running his fingertips over the smooth, warm skin. Eren trembled again. Levi’s lips moved to Eren’s ear, whispering softly. “You’re hard,” he snickered. Eren nearly shat himself when Levi’s teeth grazed his ear, but he had no time to dwell on it. Levi was starting to work his way down, his lips pressing against Eren’s jaw, then the side of his throat, then his collarbone. “Can I keep going?”

“Jesus, _yes,_ ” Eren breathed.

Levi pulled Eren’s shirt up and over his head, throwing it off to the side without much care. He was far more focused on the beauty in front of him. Levi stared for a second, drinking in Eren’s body. “Not bad,” he said. He kissed Eren’s neck again and bit gently at his skin, trying to coax more sounds from his boyfriend.

Eren gasped and squeezed Levi’s hips, then slowly let his hands make their way to Levi’s ass. At that, Levi was the one who gasped. Eren squeezed again and moaned when he felt Levi start to grind against him.

Levi’s lips pressed desperately against Eren’s again. His hands mapped out every inch of Eren’s upper body and his tongue penetrated Eren’s mouth once more. He could feel every quiver and twitch that came from him, and it turned him on like crazy.

With a sudden gasp, Levi found himself on his back. Eren’s hands were back on his hips, his knee between Levi’s legs, his lips going straight to Levi’s neck. Levi couldn’t contain the moan that came from him. His spine arched as Eren began gently sucking at a spot on the side of Levi’s throat. “Don’t stop,” he breathed, closing his eyes. However, before Levi could let himself get lost in the pleasure, Eren pulled away. Levi looked up at him questioningly, only just then realizing how shallow his breath was.

Eren took a moment to catch his own breath as he thoughtfully looked Levi over. He was laying there, apparently completely willing to do whatever Eren wanted. But there was one glaring problem. “I’m sorry, Levi. I really, _really_ want to do this, but you’re drunk. You’re not really in the right mind to tell me ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to anything right now, so…” Eren trailed off, gathering his thoughts. He kept Levi’s gaze anchored loyally to his own. “I will happily touch you and kiss you and make you feel amazing- when you’re _sober_. If you want to. Okay?”

As the realization dawned on him, Levi could feel his face go red. “Fuck, I almost _fucked_ you. Holy shit. And your shirt is off. Fucking Hell, where is your shirt?” Levi climbed out from under Eren and tumbled over the arm of the couch. “I’m good!” He declared, jumping up and nervously dusting himself off. He found Eren’s shirt on the floor and picked it up. “I’ll, uh, go wash this for you.”

Eren climbed off the couch and took hold of the sleeve of his shirt, halting Levi in his tracks. “You don’t need to wash it, you need to drink some water and sleep this off.”

Levi found himself looking at Eren’s chest and the faint outline of abs he had. “...You are one hundred percent correct.” Tearing his eyes away, Levi let go of the shirt and mechanically made his way to the kitchen, finding a glass and pouring himself some water.

Eren pulled his shirt back on and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to regain some composure. When Levi stumbled back into the living room, Eren took his hand and led him up the stairs. “Do you have a trash can anywhere in your room? I can put it next to you in case you gotta throw up,” said Eren, easing Levi down on his bed. The elder nodded, pointing over to the corner of the room where a small, black trash can sat. Eren grabbed it and placed it next to the bed as Levi laid on his side. “Can I get you anything else at all? Extra pillows? Tylenol?”

Levi shut his eyes. “A kiss,” he mumbled.

Eren smiled and leaned down, kissing Levi’s cheek very softly. “Need me to stay until you wake up?”

“...If you wanna.”

Levi sounded strange saying that. Embarrassed.  He rolled over to his other side, facing away from Eren. The younger couldn’t help but grin. “You really wanna risk throwing up in the bed?” He asked knowingly. Levi stiffened, then turned over again. He didn’t look at Eren, but the teen noticed the elder’s cheeks flush to nearly crimson. “Come on, it’s not like I’ve never spent the night before. Or slept in your bed with you. What’s got you so flustered? Not that I’m complaining,” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed at Levi’s side.

Levi bit at his lip ring. Alcohol still fogged up his head somewhat, his usual filter (if one could call it that) shut off completely. “I’m scared.”

Eren’s eyebrows shot up. Was he in the Twilight Zone? He blinked, trying to register the two little words he never thought he’d live to hear escape his boyfriend’s lips. “Scared? What’s wrong? Why are you scared?” he asked, worriedly placing his hand on Levi’s shoulder. He stiffened again, then buried his face in his pillow and mumbled something unintelligible. “...What?”

With a frustrated huff, Levi turned his head and blurted “Idon’tknowifIcancontrolmyself,” before he buried his face again, his entire form tense and stressed.

Eren blinked again, feeling winded not once, but _twice_ by Levi in the span of thirty seconds. _I don’t know if I can control myself,_ he’d sputtered. He was blushing. And taking into account what had transpired on the couch, Eren soon put 4 and 9 together, the realization clicking like a light in his brain. His own cheeks began to redden. “You...You...Want me?” he choked out, still not believing what he’d heard.

Levi shot Eren a glare.

Eren grinned again, but his expression soon fell with another thought. “You’re not just feeling this way because you’re drunk, are you?”

The cloudy glare softened, and with another huff, Levi sat up. “Eren, I’m not going to bullshit. I’ve been holding back. Like, for a while.”

Eren almost choked again. “But- _why_? You want it, and you know I want-” Levi’s hand shot up, covering Eren’s mouth.

“I know what you want,” he confirmed. “But, as you said, I’m drunk. And…” he sighed. “I don’t know if you’d be...Ready. For that sort of thing. You’ve really never done anything before?” He lowered his hand from Eren’s mouth.

“I’m a fast learner,” He replied, taking Levi’s hand in his own. “Levi, I don’t know if I’ve told you this, but Armin has a laptop. And sometimes, he leaves that laptop at my place. And sometimes, I just so happen to remember the password to said laptop.”

Levi squinted at him. “What is this leading up to?”

Eren snorted. “Porn, Levi. I know what I’m getting myself into, here. Or, what you’d be getting _yourself_ into...If you wanted…” He smiled bashfully, averting his eyes. Levi’s heart jumped in his chest.

“Fucking Christ,” he swore, laying back down on his side. He kept his hand in Eren’s, and the younger smiled again, carefully kicking off his shoes before he climbed into bed with Levi and scooted close enough that his frame entirely encompassed Levi from behind. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the feeling of Levi’s heels against his shins, indicating his rather short stature. Eren wound his arm around Levi’s waist and pulled him closer. “What’s so funny?” Levi griped, trying not to let his heart explode in his chest with Eren’s closeness.

“I just...I love you,” Eren mumbled, closing his eyes and letting himself relax. “A lot,” he added, just before konking out.

Levi squeezed Eren’s limp hand and let his own eyes shut, a long breath escaping and letting Eren’s warmth pull him into a hazy sleep.


	35. Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HOMECOMING CHAPTER AKA ARMKASA CHAPTER

“Oh, Eren, I wish I was there to take pictures,” Carla sighed longingly over the phone. “I’m sure you look handsome and Mikasa is beautiful,” she added.

“I don’t know about Mikasa, she hasn’t come out yet. Me and Armin are still waiting for her,” Eren replied, tapping his foot impatiently.

Carla giggled on the other end of the line. “It’s a girl thing, honey. Well, I suppose I’ll let you go. Have fun, and don’t do any hard drugs! Er, I mean, don’t do any drugs,” she corrected sweetly. Eren couldn’t help but laugh.

“I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do, don’t worry,” he assured. “Love you. Feel better, okay? I’ll call you back when I can.” They exchanged goodbyes, and Eren hung the phone on its hook.

He returned to the living room and perched himself on the open arm of the living room’s only chair. Armin occupied the other arm, adjusting his bow tie nervously. “Do I look okay?” he asked, glancing at Eren before focusing back on his attire.

Eren was quiet. Why was Armin acting like he was going on a date or something? Well, Eren had no room to talk because as soon as he heard rapping at the front door, he scrambled across the room and practically broke down the door to get to Levi. The man pulled his hand out of his pocket and held out his arms, Eren eagerly slipping between them and hugging Levi hard.  He lifted the elder off his feet and carried him inside. Armin laughed at the sight and waved politely when Eren set Levi down.

“Hi, Levi. Nice to finally meet you!” the blond greeted sweetly. Eren held Levi’s hands in his, looking him up and down and not so inconspicuously licking his lips at the sight of Levi’s attractive frame in an elegant and sharp black tux. Bow ties were suddenly much more attractive to Eren, now that he’d seen one on Levi. His own forest green necktie and dark grey suit seemed too plain and casual in comparison to Levi’s expensive look. But Levi was staring.

“You look amazing,” they breathed together, locking gazes and chuckling when they each heard the other speak. They shared a quick kiss, Levi not very comfortable with displaying the affection in another’s presence. Suddenly, the boys all heard Eren and Mikasa’s bedroom door creak open.

Mikasa popped her head out. Armin scrambled off the chair and stood at the mouth of the hallway separating him from her. Eren and Levi joined him immediately, all eyes looking at Mikasa in anticipation. She took a deep breath and stepped out of the room, walking stiffly through the hallway and into the light the closer she got to the trio. She stopped in front of them, wringing her black-gloved hands nervously. The glimmering black cocktail gown she wore hugged and pronounced seemingly every curve from head to toe. The slit along the left thigh left her leg exposed, smooth and a hundred miles long in the strappy black heels she wore. Gone was the red scarf she usually sported, her cleavage showing deliciously in the dip of the fabric at the front of the dress. Her only jewelry was a simple silver chain, one Armin had gotten her two birthdays ago. It complimented the two silver accents that hung from the waist on the dress.

Levi’s eyebrows shot into the air. Eren’s jaw nearly fell off. Armin couldn’t breathe. They all spoke at once after a moment of shocked silence.

“Not bad.”

“Holy shit, Mikasa, where did you even _get_ that dress?!”

“You look absolutely stunning.”

The girl blushed and shifted from foot to foot. Eren stepped over and examined the dress, moving from one side to the other to watch the sparkles shift and gleam. Then he was touching the end of the fabric at the bottom, feeling silk and small, delicate rhinestones. “Ooohh,” he admired, holding a bit of the hem with both hands and shifting each end as quickly as he could, watching the rhinestones dance. _Those things are so pretty,_ he thought, grinning up at her. Then he realized how stupid he looked. Eren jumped up and gave Mikasa a hug, squeezing as hard as possible because he knew he could get away with it. She didn’t even flinch.

“You’re all sweet,” she murmured, patting the top of Eren’s head affectionately before he pulled away to rejoin hands with Levi. She saw the man hold something up and saw Eren smile and playfully roll his eyes. He took it from Levi and tore it open to retrieve a wipe that reeked of alcohol and cleaned his hands off, tossing it all in the trash immediately before offering his hand again. Levi took it without hesitation, entwining their fingers together.

Armin was stiff. Frozen. “Come on, Ar, we gotta go or we’ll be late!” Eren called, pulling Levi toward the door impatiently. Mikasa could hear the man sigh, but he didn’t fight Eren’s tugs. The blond shook his head, cheeks going red, and stepped closer to Mikasa.

“You, uh...I mean…” _I try. Oh, my God, do I try,_ one of his inner facets said stressfully. Suddenly, Mikasa’s gloved hand was extended towards him. He released a breath he didn’t know he was holding and wrapped his fingers gently around her palm, leading her out the door after Levi and Eren. The four piled into a fancy black car, Levi driving, Eren beside him, and Mikasa behind Eren. Armin slid in next to her but tried not to get too close. He responsibly buckled his seatbelt before anyone else did, and soon they sped smoothly off toward the illuminated Shiganshina High.

Levi parked the fancy car and turned, addressing everyone in the vehicle. “Alright, what time are we leaving?” he asked.

Eren pouted. “Oh, come on, we just got here!”

“I think he just means he wants a timeframe for the night,” Armin observed wisely.

Mikasa nodded in agreement.

“...Oh. Well, it’s seven-something right now, so maybe we could hang out and party until nine?” Eren suggested.

Levi looked at the others.

“Sounds agreeable to me,” said Armin.

“Me too,” said Mikasa.

Levi nodded. “Alright, we’ll all get back to the car by nine. And I’m telling you all one time. You get fucked up and puke, piss, or shit in my car, your nose will immediately be shoved in it. Capeesh?”

Varying looks of disgust on each teen’s face, they all nodded. Levi gave a pleasant grin, his lip ring glinting as he climbed out of the car. Soon, the four approached the front entrance of the building. Levi spotted Hanji at the ticket table, who caught his glance and waved sporadically to get his full attention. “LEVIIIIIIIII!” Hanji called, gesturing grandly for the small group to approach the table. The bespeckled teacher grinned at the familiar students, then to the grumpy little _kobold_ beside them. “Ohhh, aren’t you cute~”

Levi rolled his eyes. “You letting me in, or what?”

“Remember that line for Eren, later,” Hanji teased.

“I’ll kill you,” he mouthed, flipping his middle finger.

Hanji grinned, undeterred. “I love you, too. Go on in and have fun, there’s food and music and the other usual cheesy high school dance stuff in there. I’ll be chaperoning after I finish ticket-taking. God, I never thought my job would be so _boring_ sometimes.” Hanji slumped over on the table tiredly and waved Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin beyond the doorway without making any of them pay for a ticket. As soon as they were inside, Hanji hopped up to greet the next small group of guests. “Hello~! Y’all here to par-taayy?!”

Music could be heard faintly thumping throughout the empty school hallway in the direction of the gymnasium. The cafeteria on the other side buzzed with voices and other commotion. “Let’s check out the food before we bust a move,” said Eren, pulling at Levi again. Armin and Mikasa had to hurry their pace to catch up, laughing behind their ecstatic best friend. By the time they made it to the entrance of the cafeteria, Eren was already filling a paper plate with cookies and finger sandwiches. Levi shook his head and smiled, following Eren to a table and sitting quietly next to him after wiping down the seats and table space they’d use.

Mikasa took a moment to scan the surroundings, seeing who all was in attendance. She spotted a few burly backs belonging to the football team gathered at a table, some of them sitting next to girls, some not. She recognized the back of Reiner’s head easily, and of course, he was next to a sweater-clad Bert. Krista’s tiny figure was nearly unnoticeable among the group of muscled boys, but once she was seen, Mikasa couldn’t help but let out a snort.

“Hm?” Armin followed her gaze, then let out a chuckle. “Seeing her hang out with the football team never ceases to look hilarious,” he said, shaking his head.

The two saw a suit-wearing Ymir carry two plates of food to the table, scooting between Krista and Reiner. Mikasa glanced around again, finding Sasha and Connie experimentally sliding a chocolate chip cookie between two slices of bread, and- _Wait, is that mayonnaise?!_ She immediately looked elsewhere. Jean was leaning against the far wall, looking lost in thought. Almost as if he felt her gaze, he glanced over, only to casually look away again and suddenly become reanimated when Marco approached. The response was a welcome surprise to Mikasa. _Don’t know what’s gotten into him, but maybe I can get some freakin’ peace,_ she thought, letting out a relieved sigh.

“Alright, I’m _so_ ready to party. Armin, you’ll never guess what dance Levi knows. Okay, I’ll tell you, it’s the Cha Cha Slide. We have _got_ to do the Cha Cha Slide,” Eren said, bounding over to them.

“Everyone knows the dance, Eren. They literally tell you what to do in the song,” Levi replied, coming to a stop beside Eren.

Armin cracked a grin and looked over toward the gymnasium thoughtfully. “I think the DJ will take requests,” he mused, putting a finger to his chin.

Eren did a victorious hop in place. “Then what are we waiting for?!” He grabbed Levi’s hand and, once again, they were gone. Mikasa let out a sigh and gathered up her dress, preparing to follow them. Armin’s frantic hands covered Mikasa’s before she could lift the already revealing garment far enough to face criminal charges.

“This fucking dress,” she grumbled, dropping the fabric out of her grasp with a huff. She wrapped her right arm around Armin’s left and ushered him as swiftly as her dress would allow after her brother. They entered the dim gymnasium, both pausing for a moment.

The place actually looked...Nice. Twinkling fairy lights hung from the high ceiling, making the darkened room feel like outer space. There were colored lights and lasers shooting through mechanically generated fog and bouncing off the bodies of dancers all over the gym floor. The DJ booth and equipment were at the back of the wide room, the speakers producing a familiar, infectious beat under vocals that spat, “Get low, get low; TO THE WINDOOOOWWW, TO THE WALL!”

Mikasa pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. _There goes the magic._ “You never did care for dances, huh?” Armin asked, noticing her cringe. He had to lean in a little for his voice to carry over the music. She cracked a little smile and regained her composure, ignoring the raunchy lyrics. Even if it was the clean version, it was still raunchy. Thankfully, it was the last verse played, and the music was soon replaced by another classic- Jay Sean’s ‘Down’ _._ “I really meant what I said before.” He was rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, a nervous gesture that Mikasa noticed most boys to have. “You look really, _really_ beautiful. I mean, you _always_ look beautiful, but- I mean-” She affectionately squeezed his arm, effectively shutting him the hell up.

“Thank you, Armin. And I didn’t get to say this before, but you look amazing, too.” She smiled sincerely at him. Her chocolate eyes glimmered in the colorful lights and the fabulous sparkles that richoched off her dress.

Eren was suddenly in their presence again, Levi loyally in tow. “My ‘Cha Cha Slide’ request is coming on next!” he announced gleefully.

“I made a request, too,” Levi added mysteriously, not revealing anything further.

Soon, when those left in the cafeteria heard the unmistakable beginnings of the ever famous ‘Cha Cha Slide’, most that were finished or simply didn’t care about their food got up and left the room to join the dance. Only Connie, Sasha, and a few unsuspecting sophomores remained. “...My time has come,” the girl growled mischievously, licking her lips as she tied her skirt up to one hip, eyeing the unsupervised, vulnerable food table.

“What are you gonna do, run through it?!” Connie yelled, half scared and half impressed with his girlfriend. She was always so beautiful when she stuffed her face with pastries and sandwiches like a starving Tasmanian devil.

Meanwhile, on the dance floor, everyone who had joined the dance followed their bodies along with the song and looked damn near professional doing it. Eren was in the second row, Levi on his left, Mikasa on his right, and Armin next to Mikasa. Marco slid in next to Levi, Jean next to him, completing their line. They all were synchronized as they slid to the left, to the right, took it back, and did one hop.

Eren was not the least bit focused on his own dance moves, however. His eyes were glued to Levi’s smooth movements, especially when they were instructed to “turn it out” and he was able to get a good look at Levi from behind. The man moved his feet artfully, stepping perfectly in time with the beat and rhythm. Too soon for Eren’s liking, they were instructed to “turn it out” once again and Levi was now beside him again. That was when Eren noticed the absolutely dead expression on Levi’s face. The man whose body was moving so expertly and fluidly to the music looked like he was attending a really boring funeral. Eren couldn’t help but laugh, catching Levi’s attention. “What’s so funny?!” Levi yelled over the music.

“I love you, that’s all!” Eren yelled back, the elder shaking his head and struggling to hold back a smile.

The group finished the dance with cheers and shouts of victory, some giving each other high-fives and a few hunching over to catch their breath. There was silence over the speakers for a moment before a fast-paced beat began steadily gaining sound throughout the room. A voice that obviously did not belong to Jay Sean or Drake began singing, the sound seemingly like a Teenager-Repellent as most of the dancers awkwardly shuffled on the floor or sat down on the bleachers. “ _It’s astounding; Time is fleeting...Madness...Takes its toll.”_

As the unfamiliar words seemed to turn off most of the people there, the DJ narrowed his eyes at the short Punk kid who requested this old-ass song. He saw the guy walk calmly to the center of the dance floor, the ‘Cha Cha Slide’ requester #37 next to him.

“The Time-Warp?! Awesome!” Eren beamed.

Levi shrugged and readied himself to begin the dance. “Yeah, I figured I’d throw out a song that tells you what to do, too,” he replied simply.

“ _It’s just a jump to the left!”_

The couple hopped to their left, locking gazes and sharing knowing grins with each other.

“ _And then a step to the ri-i-i-i-i-ight!”_

They skillfully sidestepped together in time with the musical instructions.

_“With your hands on your hips; you bring your knees in ti-i-ight!_

_But it’s the pelvic thru-u-u-ust that really drives you insa-a-a-a-a-ane!_

_Let’s do the Time-Warp again!”_

As the verse switched to that which belonged to the exuberant maid from the infamous film, Levi joined hands with Eren and led him in semi-ballroom like formation. Eren noticed Levi quietly singing along, his voice barely audible but still distinctive and beautiful compared to the impersonal audio track.  

 _“It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me,_ _  
_ _So you can't see me, no, not at all._ _  
_ _In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention,_   
_Well secluded, I see all_ ~”

Eren gleefully sang back, as he’d absolutely loved the movie when Levi showed him and couldn’t help but remember the catchy lyrics. “ _With a bit of a mind flip!”_

 _“You’re into the time slip!”_ Levi replied.

_“And nothing can ever be the same!”_

_“You’re spaced out on sensation!”_

_“LIKE YOU’RE UNDER SEDATIOOOON!”_

Together, they bellowed, _“LET’S DO THE TIME-WARP AGAAAIN!”_

Mikasa stared at her brother from the bleachers, at a loss for words while watching his and Levi’s weird song and dance. He looked happy, at least. Armin sat quietly next to her, watching the dance and tapping his foot along with the beat.

“Hey, Mikasa, you’re looking real sexy tonight,” greeted Nick Glitzman, a lanky point guard on Shiganshina High’s basketball team. His squinty eyes slid their way over the girl from head to toe, his expression hungry. When she didn’t acknowledge him, he stepped closer, standing directly in her line of view of the dance floor. She looked up at him. “Never thought I’d see you out of that scarf, your tits look great.”

“Hey!” Armin snapped, standing and coming face-to-chest with the intimidating boy. “If you don’t have anything _respectful_ to say to her, don’t say anything at all. Do you understand me?”

Nick scoffed. “Oooh, the little Girly-Boy, I’m soooo scared.” He raised his hand, intending to shove Armin to the side, but the shorter boy ducked and- cutting all the bullshit- punched him directly in the solar plexus. Nick let out a pained _Ooof_ and staggered backward, pressing his hand to his chest.

Armin stood in the space between Nick and Mikasa, fists raised, silent. _Just like she taught me,_ he thought calmly. _One foot back for stability, both fists raised, thumbs tucked under the knuckles._ The boy glared daggers at Armin, but the blond didn’t falter. “Do yourself a favor. Apologize to Mikasa, then walk. Away,” he growled.

The bully looked from Armin, then to Mikasa, then back to Armin, then back to Mikasa. “...Fuckin’ sorry,” he snapped, stepping away and slinking back over to wherever he’d come from.

Armin relaxed his stance and turned to Mikasa, his anger draining away only to be replaced with worry. “Are you okay?”

Mikasa stood wordlessly and threw her arms around Armin’s neck to hug him hard. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered, squeezing him lovingly before she pulled back and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek.

At this time, almost like fate, a slow song started to play. Couples were joining hands and going back to the dance floor, some already swaying in time to the music. It was an unfamiliar song, but beautiful nonetheless. Red-faced and shaking slightly, either from the almost-fight or the kiss, Armin stammered, “Can I-  I mean, would you- Do you want to dance…?”

A soft smile graced Mikasa’s lips. “I’d love to,” she said, taking his hand in hers. Armin felt a new, bubbling burst of self-confidence like never before. Not only was he able to stand up to someone, he was able to stand up for _Mikasa_. Not that he ever thought she needed it. Still, it felt good. As they stepped onto the dance floor, Armin gingerly rested his free hand on her waist. He had made sure to do plenty of dancing research on the internet after it was mutually decided by all parties that, because Eren would be escorting Levi to the dance, that Armin would escort Mikasa. He wasn’t well versed in what to do when dancing with a girl, and he didn’t want to mess it up. Especially not with her. They swayed from side to side along with the slow beat and Mikasa draped her arms over Armin’s shoulders, allowing both of his hands to rest on her glimmering waist. “Thank you,” Mikasa murmured.

Armin smiled shyly. “I’d do anything for you, Mikasa,” he confessed. Again, she pulled him in, hugging him close as they danced. His breath caught, but he didn’t hesitate to squeeze her back this time. She was so warm. She smelled so good. There was nothing that could ruin this moment.

“Ahem. A- _hem_ ,” A voice coughed behind them, one foot tapping. Mikasa lifted her head from Armin’s shoulder and he followed her gaze behind him. There stood Hanji, arms crossed, holding a serious expression. Nick stood not far behind, hand still rubbing his chest. Catching Armin’s eye, he smirked. “Armin, Nick here tells me you hit him, and that there are witnesses. I think you know what’s next. Come on, out in the hall.” Hanji pointed to the door.

That was the moment Armin knew. He fucked up. _Oh, God, I’m gonna get in so much trouble, even if it was to protect Mikasa, I have no proof of anything he said or did, and all there is to see is most likely a bruise the exact size of my fist.  Oh, God. Oh, Jesus. I just have to tell Hanji the truth. Nick was harassing Mikasa, I asked him to stop, he didn’t, so I defended her! Right? Oh, God, it happened so fast-_

“Armin, go. I’m right behind you,” Mikasa murmured, shaking him from his bubbling panic attack. He forced his feet to carry him after Hanji, Mikasa’s hand on his shoulder and walking right beside him. She was with him.

“Nick, go home. If you feel bad enough to whine about a boo-boo, you’re in no condition to get turnt or whatever you kids do. Go,” Hanji ordered, pointing a finger once again as they entered the hall and the front doors came into view. The boy grumbled but didn’t put up a fight, hunching over as he walked to the exit. Once he was gone, Hanji turned back to Armin, eyes locked on him like missiles. Placing one hand on Armin’s unoccupied shoulder and the other (finger raised) up to his face, Hanji spoke once more. “Armin. Armin, Armin, Armin. I _knew_ you could do it! I am so proud of you!”

Both utterly perplexed and a little worried about their teacher, Armin and Mikasa shared a confused glance. “What?”

Hanji grinned, clapping Armin’s shoulder. “Kid, you just won me seven-hundred-fifty-two bucks from the Gossip Pool~! I’m almost tempted to split it with you. Almost. Then again, maybe you deserve it, I was the only one who bet on you-”

“Wait, wait, wait!” said Armin, “What do you mean, ‘Gossip Pool’? Why are you gambling on me? And why are you part of a betting ring that had anything to do with me punching Nick Glitzman in the first place?”

A thoughtful look crossed Hanji’s face for a fleeting moment. “Alright, I’ll tell you. But you can’t let anyone else know…” Hanji leaned in, pulling Armin in by the shoulder and ushering Mikasa to lean in as well. “Me and the rest of the teachers, well, let’s just say that we have ears that function most expertly,” Hanji giggled. “We hear things in the halls, and whenever something juicy pops up, we have little chats in the teachers’ lounge and kind of...Take bets on what might happen. For example, let’s say there’s a kid who seems to be the butt of everyone’s jokes. A kid who seems to not have a disagreeable bone in his body. A kid that’s easy prey for dickhead seventeen-year-olds. The bet: Will this pacifist underdog-slash-bookworm ever fight back?”

The truth revealed, Armin heaved a sigh of relief, but then immediately facepalmed.

“And guess who had faith in yoouuuuuuu~!” Hanji squealed, releasing the boy to do a victorious twirl. “I did, I did, I diiiiiiid! And now I’m fuckin’ Moblit _and_ gettin’ money, like I always dreamed…”

Armin shot another confused look at Mikasa. She stepped forward, addressing Hanji curtly. “So, is Armin in trouble or not?”

“Oh, pffft. No, are you kidding? A squeaky-clean kid like Armin? With a record like his, even I could get away with almost anything...” There was a devious glint in Hanji’s glasses that worried both Armin and Mikasa slightly. “Now,” Hanji ordered, pointing back to the gymnasium. “Get back in there and have fun! And if anyone asks, I reprimanded you harshly and you feel “really bad”-” Hanji made air quotes, “-About hitting Glitzman like that. What was said between us _stays_ between us, got it?”

Both friends nodded and followed Hanji’s lead back into the dark room. Another song was on and the two immediately spotted Eren dancing wildly with Levi on the other side of the floor. Eren was holding Levi’s hands and moving his head, hips, and feet expertly in time with the pulsating sound. Levi was following his lead with less skill, looking a little unsure of what to do when dance moves were up to him to decide, but content to be with Eren nonetheless.

Gloved hand raised to her temple, Mikasa let out a groan of annoyance. “I hate Justin Timberlake,” she sighed.

“Do you want to sit down?” Armin offered, gesturing to an empty space at the bottom of the bleachers. She nodded, and they walked arm-in-arm to the open seats. Once settled, Armin blew out a heavy sigh. “Man, that sure was about the most eventful past ten minutes of my entire life so far,” he said, glancing at Mikasa from the corner of his eye. She nodded again, saying nothing.

Just then, the music changed once again. _Why the fuck do people like dances again?_ Mikasa wondered, cringing as ‘Pony’ by Genuine began playing over the speakers.

Armin could spot Eren’s eyebrows wiggling suggestively at Levi a mile away. He shook his head, a smile fighting to form on his lips before he returned his attention to the girl beside him. Her head was down, her hand cradling her forehead, her breathing slow and even. “Hey, what’s wrong? You getting a headache?”

“More like a migraine,” she replied through clenched teeth. Worried, Armin rested his hand on her shoulder.

“You need water and fresh air,” Armin instructed, standing and immediately exiting the gym. Mikasa kept her head in her hand, the pressure somewhat alleviating the pain slightly. He soon returned, a small plastic cup of water in hand. “Drink.” She obeyed, throwing the liquid back like a shot. “Want to try going outside for a bit?”

The girl nodded again as she stood. “Yeah. Ten minutes. Then we come back,” she said, looking over at Eren.

“Once you leave, you can’t come back inside!” Hanji yelled, iPhone in hand and laser-focused on taking pictures of something.

Mikasa groaned again, grabbing Armin’s hand and marching across the gymnasium to where Eren was pulling Levi around. “Eren. _Eren_!”

“Huh?” The boy turned, straightening his body when he saw his sister’s slightly pained, slightly irritated expression. “Hey, you okay?”

Levi gave a knowing look. “Headache?”

“Migraine,” Armin confirmed, saving Mikasa from having to move her head or force any more words out. “She needs to go outside and get fresh air, but if we leave, we’re out for good,” he explained.

“Aw, really?” Eren asked, shoulders drooping. “Does that mean we have to leave?”

“No no, Eren. Stay here, have fun. Levi, have Eren home at a reasonable hour. I want to go on a walk,” said Mikasa, rubbing her temple again.

“I’ll go with you,” Armin replied.

Eren pumped his fist and gave Mikasa a gentle hug. “I hope you feel better. I’ll see you at home, okay?”

“Okay.” She forced a smile despite the annoying, painful pulse in her head. She turned, taking Armin’s arm once again, and made a beeline for the exit.

Eren stared after them, looking half worried and half suspicious. “Penny for your thoughts?” Levi asked.

“I don’t know, it’s just...Armin and Mikasa. Something feels...Different.”

“Well, he was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?”  Levi replied.

Eren narrowed his eyes at him. “Did you just quote _Avril Lavigne_ lyrics at me?”

“The fact that you know that it’s Avril Lavigne proves you are just as low as I am, Eren.”


	36. Heart's Desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> YOOOO MY HOMIES YOU'VE STUCK WITH ME THIS LONG NOW LET ME REWARD Y'ALL WITH WHAT WE'RE ALL REALLY HERE FOR:  
> NSFW ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  
> Also Eren has recently discovered something that might just tap a little on the fourth wall

Mikasa stepped out of the building, taking in the cool air of night for a moment. She closed her eyes and lifted her head to the sky. Armin raised his head as well, looking up at the glittering stars that were sprinkled throughout the darkness. “It looks like your dress up there,” he commented lightly. She opened her eyes and gazed up at the heavens.

“Heh. Yeah, it does,” she replied softly, moving her feet again. The duo strolled down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace, both quiet and simply looking ahead or at the passing scenery and houses. Mikasa evened her breathing as it came out in clouds. When Armin heard her teeth start chattering, he pulled away. “Hey, wait-”

“I knew you’d start freezing eventually,” he said, shrugging off his suit jacket and draping it over Mikasa’s shoulders. He stepped in front of her and fastened a few buttons so that the garment would keep her as warm as possible after she slipped her arms through the sleeves. “How’s your head?” he asked.

“It’s feeling better. Thank you,” she mumbled, cheeks burning. Once beside her again, Mikasa took Armin’s hand and threaded their fingers together, pulling him along.

Again, there was silence as they walked. But the warmth was there. It was a comfortable silence. Armin looked around, his eyes having long ago adjusted to the dark between the streetlamps. He spotted a church, a nice house, another nice house, and the local park just ahead. A thoughtful look crossed his face. “I’m sorry our dance got cut short earlier. Is it okay if I make it up to you?” he asked.

Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “Make it up to me?” she repeated. Armin grinned and nodded, melting away the almost-suspicious expression on her face. “Okay. Dazzle me like always, Ar.”

The boy gave a wink and pulled her into the park, the two of them crunching the mulch beneath them as they neared the swingset. Armin ran over to the first swing and gestured to it grandly with a bow. “Please, have a seat, fair maiden.”

“Don’t mind if I do, good sir.” Mikasa sat on the rubber swing seat and grasped the chains on either side of her. Then Armin stepped behind her, gingerly pulling her back by those chains and then letting go. She glided forward, swung backward, and he pressed his hands against her back to help increase her momentum and height. 

Soon, the girl was swinging high and bubbling up with overwhelming bouts of giggling each time she soared into the air. Armin sat on the swing next to hers and pushed himself off with his feet, gaining speed and height and easily catching up with Mikasa. They both laughed out loud when the wind took their breath away. They continued like that, simply enjoying the feeling of their bodies flying through the air. The galaxy above came so close it was almost like they could touch the stars, and in the next instant they nearly touched the earth. Then, in the next moment, they were soaring high again. As their momentum gradually slowed, Mikasa was finally able to relax and take in a few calming breaths. She absently acknowledged the wind flipping her hair around and the almost alarming closeness of her heels to the ground each time she swung low. She simply kept her legs up, ankles close together, and waited for her dead weight to slowly bring her to a stop. Armin slowed as well, stopping himself easily with his own feet as he, fortunately, wasn’t wearing heels. 

Eventually, Mikasa was able to gingerly press her foot to the ground, completely halting the swishing seat beneath her. She stood, wobbling slightly. Armin jumped up and caught her jacketed waist just as she began tipping toward him. “You okay?” he asked worriedly.

Nodding, Mikasa rested her hands on Armin’s shoulders and closed her eyes in a thought-gathering moment. “I can’t remember the last time I played on the swings. It feels like forever ago,” she replied. “It’s really fun, actually.”

Armin smiled warmly. “I’m glad you like it.” He shyly looked down, eyes coming to her beautiful dress again. It seemed like a waste to wear something so nice and not be able to use it to the fullest. “Hey, what do you say to another dance? Minus the interruption,” he laughed.

She met his eyes. “That sounds...Really nice. I would love that,” she confessed. She could feel her face begin to heat up again despite the cool air.  _ Why do I feel like this right now? It’s only Armin. My heart shouldn’t be beating so fast,  _ Mikasa thought, being gently led away from the swing set by her hands. Once back on the stable concrete, Armin’s hands found their way back to Mikasa’s waist.

“I’m sorry there’s no music,” said Armin, flashing a nervous smile of his own. Mikasa rested her palms on his shoulders again and stepped closer, dissolving the space between them. Although her heart pulsed wildly, she couldn’t resist having an excuse to get close to him. It just felt...Nice.

“I don’t need music,” she assured, draping her arms more comfortably over his shoulders as they swayed from side to side.

He looked up at the stars again and she followed his gaze, the both of them just barely catching a glimpse of the tail-end of a comet. They both looked back at one another at the same time, sharing a grin and saying nothing. Mikasa rested her head on Armin’s shoulder like she’d done at the dance and squeezed him gently. He melted into her, squeezing back and catching the lovely scent of her hair. They danced in place like that for a few more minutes until the biting wind made them both shiver. “Let’s go home,” Armin mumbled, though unwilling to compromise the moment between them. Mikasa lifted her head and tiredly pressed her forehead against his, her eyes closed.

“Yeah,” she agreed, inhaling deeply before she pulled away. Frigid cold replaced Armin’s body warmth immediately, compelling Mikasa to attach herself to his arm to retain at least a bit of heat to help resist the dropping temperature.  _ I hate the cold,  _ Mikasa thought bitterly to herself.

The boy smiled to himself and kept close beside her as they resumed their walk home, silent once again. They exited the park and passed a few more nice houses before the scenery started to become less pleasing to see. A few broken down junker cars lined the sidewalk on the street just ahead of a flickering street lamp. There was definitely more litter on the ground than when they had been back in the nicer part of town. Finally, the two spotted the lights belonging to their apartment building.

Once at her door, Mikasa turned and faced Armin again. She felt like she should say something, but no words came to mind.

Armin broke the silence. “I really hope tonight wasn’t a total bust for you,” he said.

She was quiet for a moment. Thinking. “Well...Being with you tonight did make it a lot better,” she admitted. 

He smiled. “That makes me really happy. Being with you made my night better, too.”

“Really?”

Mikasa, for the first time, looked caught off guard. Armin took her hand in both of his own. “Of course, Mikasa. Every moment spent next to you makes my life better,” he confessed.

Their eyes met again.

It was now or never.

In an act of bravery, he stepped in, closing the space that divided them, and his lips pressed gently to hers for a moment before he stepped away again. “I like you, Mikasa. I...I’ve always liked you. Always,” he blurted, cheeks going cherry red. “And I understand if you don’t like me that way, I just can’t handle trying to hide the way I feel about you anymore.”

This time it was Mikasa that took a step, leaning in and surprising him with another gentle kiss on the lips. “I don’t know exactly what I’m feeling,” she murmured, looking intently into his hypnotizing blue orbs. “But...I definitely feel something. With you.”

His breath having caught once again, Armin could do nothing else but remain captive by her gaze.  _ Is this really happening? Did she really say what I think she said? _ The inner workings of Armin’s brain seemed to get stuck, gears grinding and struggling to fully process the meaning of what was being said. “I- You- Are you- For real?” he stammered. 

“My heart doesn’t really do the same things around everyone else that it does around you,” she explained, unconsciously reaching up to press her hand to her chest, instead touching the jacket still covering her. “Oh,”  _ I should give this back, _ she realized, snapping out of the moment and unbuttoning the garment.

Suddenly embarrassed, Armin turned his head away and zeroed his eyes in on an outlet at the end of the hall while Mikasa uncloaked her barely-concealed cleavage and slipped the suit jacket off her shoulders. “Y- You don’t have to return it just yet if you don’t want to,” Armin said, stealing a glance at her. She paused her motions briefly, then shrugged the garment back on.

“Thanks. It’s warm,” she murmured. 

The boy swallowed hard, blue eyes shining when he asked, “Mikasa, would you like to maybe go out sometime?”

At that, he noticed her eyes light up. “Go out? Like, on a date? I- Oh my gosh, I would love to go out with you,” Mikasa said. “I’ve got a prior commitment set for tomorrow afternoon, but once I get home, I’m free as a bird.”

“Awesome! Could I treat you to dinner?” asked Armin.

She smiled softly, biting her lip to try and contain herself. “That would be really, really nice. Thank you, Armin.”

“It’s my pleasure,” the boy beamed.

“Well, goodnight. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Can’t wait. Goodnight, Mikasa.” 

The two shyly waved at one another as they opened their respective front doors, neither able to break their smiles even after they entered their homes.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An hour later, ‘Dark Horse’ was playing so loud over the speakers that the bass reverberated through the gym floor. Levi spun Eren in his arms, holding him close and then sliding away, the two dancing fluidly around each other once they’d become more accustomed to the atmosphere. Levi swished his hips beautifully as his hands slid from Eren’s shoulders down the front of his suit. His expression was playful and teasing, and Eren was more than willing to take whatever torture Levi wanted to dish out. The elder alluringly circled his body, fleeting fingertips on Eren’s back, his shoulders, his neck, and when Levi was in front of him again, he pressed a finger under Eren’s chin and brought him close. 

“This is actually pretty fun,” Levi purred, leaning in for a gentle kiss. 

Eren pulled Levi closer by the hips. “I couldn’t agree more. We definitely need to dance at your place sometime.” His eyes went to a far-off gaze for a moment as his mind played out the sort of things that might happen if they were alone, out of the formal (or better yet, any) clothes, sexy mood music playing, and Levi moving that gorgeous body of his just for Eren. Fingers suddenly snapped in front of his face, stunning the boy back to reality. 

Levi raised a questioning eyebrow. “Were my clothes on or off in whatever nasty thought you just had?”

“Hey, it wasn’t a nasty thought!” Eren defended. “...They were off, but my thoughts  _ and  _ my love for you are pure and beautiful.”

The man shook his head, unable to fight off the crooked grin that spread across his face when he looked into those eyes. “Wow, you’re such a gentleman,” he teased, draping his arms over Eren’s shoulders. 

“You deserve the best, baby,” Eren winked, flashing his most charming smile. Levi snorted and leaned up, pressing a soft kiss to Eren’s cheek.

“You’re too cute for your own good,” said Levi. 

The two shared a laugh and Eren slid his hands from Levi’s waist to his back to trap him in a huge bear hug.  Once he heard the strained gasps of air, Eren put Levi back down again and apologetically kissed his forehead. “Hey, can we go somewhere? I’ll give you directions, but the final destination is a surprise,” he asked.

Eyebrow raised again, Levi got another crooked little smile on his face. “A surprise? Hm, I like this mysterious side of you,” he teased, “Lead the way, handsome.”

“Don’t mind if I do, handsome...er,” Eren replied, taking Levi’s hand as the two of them started toward the exit.

Levi snorted. “Very smooth.”

Once they were settled in the car, seatbelts fastened, Levi took off down the street. “Alright, up here at the stop sign, take a left,” Eren instructed, pointing to the upcoming intersection. They turned down a street lined with trees and a sidewalk that tapered off on either side of the pavement the farther they drove. After a few more minutes, Eren spoke again. “Okay, now take a right, and after that, you’ll see a big barn at the end of the street. Make one more left and keep going forward. You’ll know when to stop.”

“Gotcha, boss,” Levi replied, pulling up to the end of the street and making the final required turns. The road was slowly and steadily starting an upward incline. Soon, the tree lining started to thin out and the night glittering brightly above was revealed, looking closer than ever before. Finally, the Mercedes pulled up to an old wooden fence that lined the edge of a cliff. The literal end of the road. 

“Come on,” Eren beckoned, stepping out of the car. Levi followed suit, the two of them going around to the front and- after an expression of consent from Levi- sat on the hood. 

They looked out at the sight that lay beyond the rickety fence. Because of the town so dull and somewhat lifeless below, save for the Homecoming festivities, the scattered clusters of man-made lights were dim enough to give way to the majesty of the infinite cosmos above. The moon sat low, full and bright with a gorgeous sprinkling of stars surrounding. “Wow…” Levi breathed, “What is this place?  Make-Out Point?”

“It’s actually called Lilith's Ledge,” Eren explained with a grin. “But I  _ was _ kind of hoping we could kiss a little, I saw it in a movie once, and…”

“And you want us to smooch in the back seat like teenagers from the 1950’s until some guy with a hook hand tries to get in and slaughter us?”

Eren was quiet with thought for a moment. “...Pretty much, yeah. I’d totally protect you, though.”

Levi rolled his eyes and fluttered his lashes as he leaned his head on Eren’s shoulder. “Oh, my hero~” he teased.

Eren snaked a hand around his waist, pulling Levi’s side flush against his own. “I’ll even give you the hook hand as a souvenir when I’m done with him,” he promised playfully. They laughed together and gazed out at the stars, cuddling closer when the wind chilled them. “Brr,” Eren shivered, “Can we sit in the car now?”

Levi cracked another smile and affectionately kissed the freezing tip of Eren’s nose. “Get in that back seat before I change my mind,” he said. 

The younger grinned through nearly-chattering teeth as another gust of wind rattled him. There was no hesitation as he bounded around the car, hurriedly opening the back door and climbing into the welcoming warmth of the still-running machine. Levi climbed in from the other side as Eren shut the door. The moonlight gave more than enough illumination to the back where they sat even as the inside lights faded to black.

Eren made the first move by touching Levi’s hand. “I really do love you,” he whispered, bringing their lips together. Levi met him eagerly and laced their fingers together.

“I love you too,” Levi mumbled against his lips, the words making his heart hammer even harder against his ribcage. 

Eren beamed at him and pressed closer, leaning Levi against the back of the seat as he assaulted the man with his lips. He nipped gently, moving from Levi’s mouth to his jawline, leaving little love bites down the side of his neck until he made it to the spot just above his collarbone that usually made Levi moan. Just like he’d flipped a switch by latching onto the flesh with his lips, Levi let out a surprisingly cute noise and his back arched beautifully. He had turned his head to the side, giving Eren as much access to him as possible. The younger worked his way back up along Levi’s throat, across his jawline, and back to his mouth. “I like it when you blush,” he purred, noticing the red tint on Levi’s pale cheeks.

The man opened his mouth, intending to spit out some sarcastic retort, but Eren kissed him again and whispered in his ear with a sultry voice sweet as honey.

“I’ve figured out some of your weaknesses,” Eren murmured, his breath hot and shiver-inducing. However, before he could move any further, Levi seized both his wrists and pushed the other down on his back, holding Eren’s hands above his head.

“And I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out some of yours,” he replied, his tone going husky his breath notably more shallow. Setting aside the immense pride he felt at disheveling Levi’s composure, Eren mock-struggled in his grasp. Levi locked lips with him once more and coaxed the other’s mouth open with a penetrating tongue. Eren’s muted moans were intoxicating. After a moment Levi broke the passionate kiss for air and gave Eren’s lower lip a teasing nibble. “And when it comes to weaknesses,” Grey eyes were mischievous when they met green. Keeping both wrists in one hand, Levi was able to freely trail his other down the front of Eren’s suit, coyly toying with his tie and the buttons underneath. “I bet I could find one on just about every inch of your body.”

Eren’s entire form trembled beneath Levi, and the Goth smirked. He leaned in and gave Eren a gentle peck before releasing him from his hold. “Damn,” Eren panted, propping himself up on shaky hands. Levi’s gaze dropped downward and quickly back up; he shot his boyfriend a cocky smile. Eren didn’t have to look to know he had a raging erection making a tent in his pants. “You’re one incredible tease, you know that?” He sat up as comfortably as possible, but Levi was suddenly close again, his hand on Eren’s chest and pressing him back against the seat.

“Eren,” He began, “I think being a tease could be my calling, but...I seriously want to keep making you feel good. Can I keep touching you?”

Eren’s stomach was doing somersaults and he feared that Levi could feel his wild heart beat beneath his palm. “The day I deny you consent to touch me is the day I break as a human being,” he declared, grabbing Levi by the bowtie and yanking him in for a deep kiss.

Levi’s hand crept upward and pulled Eren’s tie loose. He only unfastened the top two buttons to make just enough room for what he had in mind. Channeling his inner Suave Vampire ™,  Levi very gingerly bit and sucked at the exposed side of Eren’s neck. His breath going uneven from the lavish attention, Eren let out a particularly nice sound when Levi’s fingers began skirting up his inner thigh. An even more delicious noise poured from the back of Eren’s throat the instant Levi’s palm pressed against the restrained length. Levi couldn’t help but feel a twinge of smug pride at his effect on Eren even after only doing so little. He rubbed through the fabric and earned a full-blown moan from the other, hands grasping at Levi’s shoulders. 

The starry-eyed brunette felt like each touch and kiss was a personal fantasy come true, and although the fancy dress pants were becoming more and more bothersome, Levi’s hand was warm and the way his fingers pressed and slid were enough to make Eren’s legs tremble and make another certain part of his body twitch with want. He could practically feel the man smirk against his skin as his hand pressed a little harder. Then Levi squeezed him through his pants and he couldn’t control the embarrassing moan that erupted from him. “L- Levi…?” Eren called weakly, going breathless when Levi continued to affectionately bite and nibble his skin.

“Hm?”

“This is  _ seriously _ amazing,” Eren whispered, “But you, uh, might want to stop.”

“You’re that close already?” chuckled Levi, casually sliding his hand up to rest on Eren’s hip.

The teen blushed and kept his eyes away, his own hand sliding down to join Levi’s. “You are really,  _ really  _ sexy. Like,  _ overwhelmingly _ sexy. So yes, I am that close already,” he explained, “Like, one more dick-squeeze away from making an actual mess.”

Levi scrunched up his nose as he fought off a smile, feeling not only distaste at the thought of any clothing getting soiled, but also feeling both flattered and thoroughly amused by Eren’s honest words. “I’m impressed by your responsibility, Eren,” he chose to say.

“And I’m impressed by how far you took it with me. How much longer would you have kept going if I didn’t say anything?” Eren grinned suggestively.

“Long enough to probably smack you if you got your jizz anywhere,” Levi replied easily, sitting back against the seat cushions.

It was at that moment the both of them noticed Levi’s own arousal bulging in his pants. Another grin spread across Eren’s face. “You got hard just from touching me?” he asked, green eyes sparkling mischievously. Levi turned his head to the side in a vain attempt to hide his red face.

“Well, I’m not the only sexy person in this car,” he muttered, freezing when Eren came close and gently nuzzled his neck, one hand resting on Levi’s thigh.

“Oh, really? You think I’m sexy?” Eren coaxed, hot breath tickling Levi’s neck. “I really appreciate what you just did for me,” he continued, “And I would really like to return the favor...Can I?”

“Uh...Uh…” Levi found himself unable to speak somehow. Eren’s hand was dangerously close to his crotch and inching up with every passing second. “Uh- I...Uh…”

“How about this,” Eren decided, “I’ll keep going until you tell me to stop, okay?” His hand mimicked what Levi’s had done before, pressing and squeezing the rather impressive length through Levi’s slacks. Eren’s lips trailed along his jawline until he finally persuaded Levi to turn his face back to him. He finally got a good look at his blushing cheeks and the way Levi bit his lip to keep from making any potentially embarrassing noises. Eren couldn’t stop himself; he kissed Levi hard and squeezed him again before blindly fumbling with and unbuttoning Levi’s pants.

Levi gasped, hips bucking slightly when Eren’s hand suddenly breached his underwear. His open mouth invited Eren in, the younger’s tongue flicking and exploring while his fingers wrapped around Levi’s dick. He gave a gentle squeeze and started pumping. “Aaahhn-” Levi let out a broken moan against Eren’s lips with an arch of his spine. 

That only provoked Eren further, sparking the motivation in him to pull Levi’s clothes further out of the way and plant a few more searing kisses along his neck before sliding farther down and actually looking at what he had in his hand. “Wow,” Eren whispered, feeling a little embarrassed for the first time in the past thirty seconds. Not only was Levi’s dick beautiful, it was rather outstanding. Pale, like the rest of him, except for the tip that seemed to be a more sensitive shade of cherry red.  _ I got this,  _ Eren convinced himself.  _ What would I want him to do to me? Oh! Yeah. I definitely got this.  _

The once untouchable, ultra-tough Goth was still too flustered to speak. How could he be rendered so helpless? All he knew was that his dick was hard and it was currently in Eren’s hand. He nearly lost it when Eren licked him. Levi bit his lip hard, feeling more embarrassed than anything.

“I don’t want you to hold back, Levi. I like hearing you moan,” Eren encouraged, running his tongue along the underside of the tip again. Then, careful of his teeth, he took Levi into his mouth. Eren heard his boyfriend gasp out loud and he guessed he was moving in the right direction. He sank down further and lifted back up in a minimally clumsy rhythm as he massaged his tongue against the shaft; entirely focused on accomplishing the task at hand: Make Levi scream. Soon his movements became more proficient and knowing and Levi threw his head back, his knees trembling and fists gripping leather as a finally unhindered moan escaped the back of his throat.

“ _ Fuck! _ ” the man swore, teeth clenching as his entire body shuddered. It had been so long since he’d let somebody touch him like that. And the fact that it was Eren, someone he actually felt like he loved, doing this to him made it all the more pleasurable. Eren’s tongue felt like heaven and the inside of his mouth was insanely hot and wet. Levi was extremely self-conscious of the way his body was reacting, all the embarrassing noises he was making, and the smug look Eren got when he caught his eye. Other than a few more short strings of curses and vowels, Levi still couldn’t form words. Eren was surprisingly pretty damn good at this, especially for a virgin. Before long, Levi could sense a particularly magical feeling welling up inside him. It was at this moment that he found his voice again. “Eren, I…” he gulped audibly. “Y- You should probably stop, I’m about to- Aahh…”

Eren expertly worked his tongue and bobbed his head faster. He didn’t just want to make Levi feel good, he wanted to make Levi  _ cum _ . So, despite a few more breathless and flimsy protests, Eren sucked and squeezed and bobbed his head even as he felt the organ in his mouth twitch and leak a somewhat salty liquid that he could only assume was precum. Finally, it happened. The most beautiful moan spilled over from the back of Levi’s throat, his entire form trembling erotically as he released in Eren’s mouth.  _ Holy crap, he’s so sexy like this,  _ Eren thought, feeling rather satisfied and impressed with his ability to make Levi feel so good. He then returned his focus to the jizz currently filling up his mouth. He obviously didn’t want to spill any of it, Levi would kill him, so the obvious answer was to-

“SPIT IT OUT!” Levi shrieked frantically, startling Eren so suddenly that he reflexively gulped everything down. Once Levi saw it was done, his eyes went wide. “You fucking  _ swallowed _ \- Oh, my God,” he groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.

Although Eren was just as surprised as Levi, he was nonetheless pleased with himself. “Are you embarrassed?” he asked, noting the elder’s flustered appearance. “It doesn’t taste bad. Salty, in fact, with a hint of sweetness. I like it. And there was kind of a lot,” Eren blushed, “You must’ve been pretty pent-up, huh?”

“Shutupshutupshutup.” Levi quickly busied himself by tucking his junk back in his pants and completely avoided looking at Eren’s smug face. “I can’t even believe- How did you even-? This is not the first dick you’ve sucked,” he concluded.

Eren shook his head. “Nope. You’re the first,” he exclaimed proudly. “Am I really that good?”

“You just drank my jizz and you’re seriously asking me that?”  Levi raised an eyebrow. “I’m literally astonished. Where did you even learn how to blow like that?”

This time it was Eren who avoided eye contact. “It’s...Embarrassing.”

Levi snorted. “Now I  _ have  _ to know,” he urged.

Eren let out a small sigh of defeat. “I...Uh. Well, honestly, it’s...Have you ever heard of ‘fanfiction’?”

“The fuck is a ‘fanfiction’?”

Eren nodded. “Thought so. Basically, it’s word porn.”

“So, you read erotica? Pfft. Isn’t that for rich suburban moms in loveless marriages?” Levi laughed.

Eren playfully punched Levi’s arm. “It’s not like that! They are meaningful stories with sophisticated plotlines and deep character development!”

“Mhmm. Sure, yeah. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“Leviiiiii,” Eren whined.

The man grinned and ruffled Eren’s hair. “Alright, I believe you. C’mere.” He opened his arms, feeling a pang of adoration when Eren eagerly snuggled up close in his embrace. “Thank you, by the way. For...You know.” he mumbled.

Eren couldn’t help but chuckle. “You were so vocal about sex before, but now that we actually do something, you’re all shy and stuff. I think that’s really cute. Oh, and you’re welcome.”

“I’m not  _ shy _ ,” Levi defended, “I’ve just- Christ, this is gonna sound cheesy- I’ve never fooled around or anything with someone that I...Love.”

“Awwwhhhh,” sighed Eren, giving Levi a gentle squeeze. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve never fooled around with someone I love before either.”

“You’ve never fooled around with someone  _ period _ .”

The teen was quiet. “Hm. Touché. But we can’t say that anymore, now.  I just sucked a really rad dick and I’m seriously feeling like a total winner right now.”

Levi grinned, stealing a glance at the clock on the dashboard up front. Already ten-fifteen. “Well, shit. Alright, Don Juan-” Levi straightened up and gave Eren’s head a smooch. “-If I don’t get you home soon, your sister’s gonna kill me. Let’s get up front.”

Eren whined in protest but reluctantly pulled himself away to open the door and brave the cold again. Once the two were both settled, seat belts fastened, Levi pulled the Mercedes around and sped back down the road. Eren held Levi’s hand contently, his eyes on the other for almost the whole ride to the apartment. It was a comfortable silence between them; the was radio playing softly, they both were smiling, occasionally sharing affectionate glances with one another. As they turned on to Eren’s street, he remembered something. “Oh, what time should me and Mikasa get ready for the concert tomorrow?” he asked.

Levi hummed, mulling over the errands he needed to run before getting ready for the gig the next day. “I think I’ll head over here around noon. If I happen to run late, I’ll just call and let you know.” He pulled into the parking lot and gave Eren’s hand a final squeeze. “I had a really nice time with you, tonight. Thank you for inviting me out.”

Eren grinned cheekily and snapped off his seat belt to lean over and press a loving kiss to Levi’s cheek. “No, thank  _ you _ ,” he replied, “This has definitely been one mind- _ blowing  _ night. Heh.”

“I’m so proud of my very serious, very mature boyfriend,” Levi said, eyes rolling.

“Awh, I’m proud of you too, honey,” Eren teased back. He opened the door and stepped one foot out before saying “Goodnight, love ya, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“Love you too, see you tomorrow.”  Levi waved as Eren closed the door and waited to drive away until Eren was safely inside the building.


End file.
